This delicious recipe is by Fearne Cotton and featured in the Mail Online Magazine.   We made this cake back in November and will be one that we'll definitely make again!  It uses non wheat flour and coconut sugar and is very healthy!

This chocolate loaf is so rich, yet retains a lightness due to the courgette.  Allow a minimum of two hours to make this cake as it takes an hour to cook and then needs to completely cool before garnishing with the melted chocolate.

Utensils

• 20 x 10cm (8 x 4in) loaf tin
• Greaseproof paper
• Baking tray
• 2 large mixing bowls
• Electric whisk
• Hand whisk
• Wooden spoon
• Spatula
• Glass bowl to fit on top of
• Small pan of boiling water
• Sheet of foil in case the cake starts to burn whilst cooking



Ingredients

•     100g (3½oz) coconut oil or unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
•     150g (5½oz) coconut palm sugar (also known as coconut sugar, from larger supermarkets)
  
•     2 eggs, beaten
  
•     225g (8oz) courgette, coarsely grated
  
•     3tbsp almond milk
  
•     100g ground almond
  
•     100g Coconut flour or chestnut flour (we use chestnut flour)
  
•     1tsp baking powder
  
•     1tsp bicarbonate of soda
  
•     1½tsp ground cinnamon
  
•     4tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  
•     1tsp vanilla extract
  
•    ½tsp fine sea salt

To decorate (optional)

• 50g (1¾oz) dark chocolate, melted, for drizzling
• Flaked almonds lightly toasted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4.
   
   
2. Place half a cup of flaked almonds onto a baking tray and bake for about 5 minutes until lightly golden.   Remove from the oven and set aside.
   
   
3. Grease a 20 x 10cm (8 x 4in) loaf tin and line with baking parchment.
   
   
4. In a large bowl cream the coconut oil or butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs, courgette and almond milk until well combined
   
   
5. In another bowl combine the remaining ingredients.
   
   
6. Gradually add this to the egg and courgette mixture until it has just come together.    Don’t over-mix, though, as it will make the cake tough.
   
   
7. Using a spatula, transfer the mixture to the lined loaf tin and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
   
   
8. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with foil.
   
   
9. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
   
   
10. To melt the chocolate, break into squares and put into a glass bowl over a saucepan of boiling water and stir very gently until melted.   Do not be tempted to use a microwave as the chocolate will burn.
    
    
11. Drizzle the melted dark chocolate over and sprinkle with the flaked almonds to decorate.