A twist on the classic lemon loaf cake, these mini loaves would make a lovely Easter gift

LEMON & EARL GREY LOAF CAKES
Makes 6 cakes
1 earl grey tea bag (or 1 tsp loose leaf earl grey)
120g golden caster sugar or demerara sugar
1⁄2 yellow courgette, grated
1⁄4 swede, peeled and grated
15g lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
2 eggs
40g rapeseed oil
75g ground almonds
90g rice flour
11⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1⁄4 tsp xanthan gum (optional)*
Coconut oil, for greasing

for the icing
120g golden icing sugar
Juice of 1⁄4 lemon
25g (2 tbsp) strongly brewed earl grey tea
1 tsp loose earl grey tea (from tea bags or loose leaf)
Blue cornflowers (optional)

1 Empty the contents of the tea bag into a bowl with the sugar, cover and infuse for a few hours or overnight if possible. Then grind in a blender until fine.
2 Place the courgette between sheets of kitchen towel to soak up excess moisture. Place 80g swede and 80g courgette into a bowl; add lemon juice and zest, and set aside.
3 In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and oil for 5 mins, or until pale and slightly thickened. Fold in the grated vegetables. Sift together the ground almonds, flour, raising agents and xanthan gum, if using. Fold into the cake mixture gently, until it is lump free. Leave for 10 mins.
4 Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Grease 6 mini loaf tins, each about 9x6cm, with coconut oil, and line with baking parchment or disposable loaf cases. Fill the tins almost to the top with the mixture and bake in the top half of the oven for 30 mins, or until the tops spring back and an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean.
5 Cool the cakes in the tins until just warm, then turn out onto a wire rack. For disposable cases, just cool in the cases.
6 Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the lemon juice and enough brewed tea to form an icing the thickness of double cream. Pour over the cooled cakes, and top with a sprinkle of tea leaves and cornflowers, if using.

Recipe from Nourish Cakes by Marianne Stewart (Quadrille).

* Xanthan gum is used to replace gluten, helping to bring the cake together. If you don’t have it, just leave it out.

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