Zucchini lime drizzle cake

A quick bread with a crackly glaze that has the sweetness of a tea cake.

Zucchini breads and cakes are a go to during the growing season, when there is always one left from your farmers market haul, or just too many growing in your garden.

I like my zucchini bakes light and fresh, rather than dark and spiced, so with that one lingering zucchini on the counter, I returned to my recipe for Zucchini Lemon Gems to make a loaf cake. I’ve switched to lime for a little difference, and used rich olive oil and tangy Greek yogurt to make the cake moist and zippy.

I debated whether to call this a bread or a cake. It is a cake more in the sense of an English cake, served at tea, rather than the rich frosted confections we think of. But the crackly sweet glaze makes it a little richer than a zucchini bread. Without the glaze, you definitely have a simple bread, but I really think it adds a special touch.

Serve this as snack (with iced tea in the summer of course) or for breakfast. But served with a scattering of fresh berries and some lightly sweetened whipped cream, it makes a creative summer dessert packed full of in season flavor.

Zucchini lime drizzle cake

For the cake:
2 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
Zest of 1 medium limes
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 cup finely grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the glaze:
Zest of one medium lime
3 Tablespoons lime juice
5 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs then stir in the oil, sugar and yogurt until well blended. Add the lime juice and zest and the zucchini.

3. Stir until blended, making sure the zucchini is evenly distributed. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir until just blended, with no streaks of flour left.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. While the cake is cooking, mix the sugar and lemon juice for the glaze in a small bowl. The sugar should not dissolve completely.

6. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then poke holes all over the surface with a skewer or cake tester. Stir the glaze to blend, then spoon it over the cake while it is still hot. Leave the cake to cool and soak up the glaze, then run a thin knife around the edges to loosen and remove from the pan.

Related post on The Runaway Spoon: Zucchini Lemon Muffin Gems