This cake is inspired by my childhood favourite: the lemon drizzle cake. With the flavour of lemon-sugar crepes and the texture of a sponge cake, it’s a crowd-pleaser, and the perfect cake to brighten a rainy day. I created this recipe with my two nephews, both of whom refuse, as most kids do, to eat their greens. Courgette was added to show them that vegetables can be delicious, and can be used in all sorts of dishes, including a cake! The courgette also adds to the moistness of the cake, so served two purposes here, and so I wouldn’t bake it without it.

In this recipe, we’re using an ingredient that may be new to some of you, Xylitol. I can’t say the name is particularly attractive, so let’s talk about what this mysterious ingredient is. Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in plants, including fruit and vegetables. Xylitol is extracted from Birch Trees and used to make medicine, although widely it’s known as a sugar substitute, and that’s how I’ll be using it in the recipe today. Xylitol has a similar sweetness to normal sugar, but contrary to sugar it has little effect on blood sugar and insulin levels. I use this as my main sugar alternative in baking, along with coconut sugar. In this recipe, you can of course use regular sugar if it’s all you have available or try this new alternative.