Anna Louise Every so often a recipe surprises you completely. Courgette cake was that recipe for me.
The first time someone suggested I bake a cake with courgettes in it, I was deeply unconvinced. Courgettes belong in ratatouille and pasta, not in cake.
And yet here we are, because Mary Berry’s courgette cake is one of the most wonderfully moist, tender, and delicious bakes on this entire site — and it has converted every single sceptic I have ever fed it to.
Here is the thing about courgettes in cake: you do not taste them. Not even slightly. What they do is hold moisture in the sponge in the same way carrots do in a carrot cake — keeping the crumb soft, tender, and moist for days. The courgette itself is completely neutral in flavour and simply disappears into the batter, doing its quiet, essential work behind the scenes.
If you have been curious about this Mary Berry courgette cake recipe but not quite convinced it was worth trying — trust me on this one. Make it once and you will make it again.
Why Courgette Works So Well in Cake
The science behind courgette cake is actually quite straightforward once you understand it.
Courgettes have an extremely high water content — they are made up of roughly 95% water. When finely grated and folded into a cake batter, they release this moisture slowly during baking, keeping the crumb extraordinarily soft and moist throughout.
Because the flavour of courgette is so mild, it does not contribute anything to the taste of the finished cake — it simply acts as a natural moisture agent.
The result is a cake that stays fresh and tender for longer than most sponges, does not dry out quickly, and has a beautifully even, close crumb that feels almost luxurious to eat. Paired with warm spices and a tangy cream cheese frosting, it is genuinely one of the best cakes on this site.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Courgette Cake
For the Courgette Sponge
- 300g courgettes (about 2 medium courgettes), coarsely grated
- 200ml sunflower oil
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 250g caster sugar
- 300g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 100g walnut pieces, roughly chopped (optional but lovely)
- Pinch of salt
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 200g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 100g unsalted butter, softened
- 300g icing sugar, sifted
- Zest and juice of ½ unwaxed lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To Decorate
- A few walnut halves
- Lemon zest curls
- Optional: a light dusting of cinnamon
How to Make Mary Berry Courgette Cake — Step by Step
Step 1 — Prepare the Courgettes
Wash the courgettes thoroughly but do not peel them — the skin is fine and adds a tiny fleck of green colour to the finished cake that is rather lovely. Coarsely grate them into a clean tea towel, then bring the edges of the tea towel together and squeeze out as much excess moisture as you can. This step is important — without squeezing, too much water goes into the batter and the cake can become dense and heavy.
Set the squeezed courgette aside.
Step 2 — Preheat and Prepare
Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
Step 3 — Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sunflower oil, eggs, caster sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined and slightly thickened — about two minutes by hand with a balloon whisk.
Step 4 — Add the Dry Ingredients
Sift the self-raising flour, baking powder, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, and salt into the bowl. Add the lemon zest. Fold gently with a large spatula until just combined.
Step 5 — Fold in the Courgette and Walnuts
Add the squeezed grated courgette and the chopped walnuts if using. Fold everything together until evenly distributed. The batter will be quite loose — this is correct for an oil-based sponge.
Step 6 — Bake
Divide the batter equally between the two prepared tins. Weigh each tin on the scales for perfectly even layers. Bake on the middle shelf for 30 to 35 minutes until golden, well risen, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Step 7 — Cool Completely
Leave the cakes in their tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting — at least 45 minutes.
Step 8 — Make the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat the softened butter alone for three minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, sifted icing sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and spreadable. As always with cream cheese frosting — stop the moment it is smooth. Overbeating makes it runny.
Step 9 — Assemble and Decorate
Place one sponge on your serving plate. Spread half the frosting generously over the top. Place the second sponge on top and spread the remaining frosting over the surface. Decorate with walnut halves, curls of lemon zest, and a light dusting of cinnamon if you like.
My Top Tips for the Best Mary Berry Courgette Cake
Squeeze the courgette thoroughly. This is the single most important step in this recipe. Courgettes hold an enormous amount of water, and if you do not squeeze it out before adding them to the batter, you will end up with a cake that is too wet, too dense, and takes much longer to bake through. Squeeze until you feel the courgette is genuinely dry in your hands.
Do not peel the courgettes. The skin is completely undetectable in the finished cake and adds tiny flecks of green that are honestly quite pretty in the crumb. More practically, the skin helps the courgette hold its structure during grating rather than turning mushy.
Coarsely grate rather than finely grate. Finely grated courgette can become almost paste-like when squeezed. Coarsely grated courgette gives you slightly more texture in the finished cake and distributes more evenly through the batter.
Use full-fat cream cheese for the frosting. Every single time. Low-fat cream cheese has too much water in it and the frosting will not hold its shape. Philadelphia full-fat is my go-to brand.
Add the lemon juice to the frosting sparingly. Unlike the zest, which adds flavour without extra liquid, lemon juice adds moisture that can make the frosting looser. Start with just a small squeeze and add more to taste, stopping before the frosting loses its spreadable consistency.
This cake keeps beautifully. Because of the oil base and the moisture from the courgettes, this sponge stays fresh and tender for longer than a butter-based cake. It is just as good on day three as it is on day one — sometimes even better.
Serving Suggestions
Serve at room temperature with a cup of tea — this is a cake that needs no embellishment. For an afternoon tea spread it looks beautiful on a stand alongside scones and finger sandwiches. As a celebration cake it works wonderfully dressed up with extra piping on the frosting and some edible flowers scattered over the top.
How to Store Mary Berry Courgette Cake
In the fridge: Because of the cream cheese frosting, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Always bring to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
At room temperature: Fine for a few hours in a cool kitchen, but the cream cheese frosting means it should be refrigerated for longer storage.
In the freezer: Freeze the unfrosted sponge layers for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly in cling film and foil. Make the frosting fresh when ready to assemble.
Mary Berry Courgette Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Coarsely grate courgettes. Place in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins.
- Whisk sunflower oil, eggs, caster sugar, and vanilla together for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Sift in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, and salt. Add lemon zest. Fold gently until just combined.
- Fold in squeezed courgette and chopped walnuts until evenly distributed.
- Divide equally between tins. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool in tins 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack. Cool completely.
- Beat butter alone for 3 minutes until pale. Add cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until just smooth.
- Sandwich sponges with half the frosting. Spread remainder on top. Decorate with walnut halves and lemon zest.
Notes
Squeeze grated courgette very thoroughly — this is the most important step. Do not peel the courgettes before grating. Always use full-fat cream cheese for the frosting. Stop beating the frosting the moment it is smooth — overbeating makes it runny. Stores in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mary Berry Courgette Cake
Can you really not taste the courgette?
Genuinely, no. Not even slightly. The courgette flavour is completely neutral and disappears into the batter entirely. What it leaves behind is moisture, nothing more. Every single person I have ever made this cake for has been shocked to learn what is in it.
Do I need to peel the courgettes?
No — leave the skin on. It is undetectable in the finished cake and makes grating much easier as it holds the courgette together.
Can I make this as a traybake?
Yes. Pour the batter into a greased and lined 30x20cm traybake tin and bake at the same temperature for 35 to 40 minutes. Frost directly in the tin and cut into squares.
Why did my courgette cake turn out dense?
Almost always because the courgette was not squeezed thoroughly enough before adding to the batter. Excess moisture from the courgette makes the batter too wet and results in a heavy, dense crumb. Squeeze firmly and thoroughly before using.
Can I leave out the walnuts?
Of course — the cake is equally delicious without them and is suitable for anyone with a nut allergy. You could add a handful of raisins or lemon zest in place of the walnuts if you want a little something extra in the batter.
What size courgettes should I use?
Medium courgettes are ideal — they have a better flavour and less water than very large ones. Avoid very large courgettes as they can be watery and slightly bitter. You need approximately 300g of grated courgette after peeling — which is usually two medium courgettes.
