Courgette & Lavender Cake

I love the use of vegetables in cakes (not just because you can claim that a slice is one of your 5-a-day, but because shredded carrot, courgette, beetroot or pumpkin gives such an interesting texture & moistness to a cake) this is a recipe I've been fiddling around with for a while now. I originally made it with parsnips, but the combination of parsnip & honey made it prone to burning if left in the oven too long (and I mean 20 seconds too long, not 5 minutes or anything!), so here is a version made with courgettes instead. It's not a cake as we know it, as it's made without butter or margarine, the fats coming from ground almonds instead, which along with the courgette gives it a rich, moist texture.

Courgette & Lavender Cake
200g courgette, grated
100g honey
2 eggs
75g spelt flour (or rice flour if you want a gluten free cake)
50g ground almonds
juice & rind of 1 lemon
1 very heaped tbs lavender flowers
2 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/G4. Line a 1lb loaf tin with baking parchment.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs & honey until light and fluffy (it should only take a minute or two, no endless whisking this time). Add the remaining ingredients & whisk until well combined. If the batter looks runny, add 1 tbs spelt flour (courgettes can vary in their water content). Pour the mixture into the tin & bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat & leave to stand in the tin for 5 minutes or so before attempting to extract it.
If you're in the mood for a drizzle cake combine 3 tbs sugar & the juice of a lemon in a small pan, warm through & pour over the cake (though I like the cake just as it is).

Om nom nom!