We recently returned from a blissful holiday in the Dordogne to a veg patch unintentionally overrun with enormous marrows. So I’ve been experimenting with marrow recipes ever since – mostly cake based!

This loaf cake is made with wholegrain flour, is dairy and refined sugar free, and definitely contains at least one of your five a day.

The marrow or courgette makes for a lovely moist cake which is a great healthy afternoon treat and freezes really well for lunch boxes.

You can substitute the marrow for courgettes if your veg patch hasn’t got as out of hand as ours has!

Ingredients

2 eggs

100g coconut sugar

125g melted coconut oil

1 tbsp vanilla extract

350g grated marrow or courgette

300g wholegrain plain flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp bicarb of soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 handfuls chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

2 handfuls sultanas

Method

Preheat the oven to 180. Grease a 2lb loaf tin and line it with baking paper. Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add the coconut sugar, oil and vanilla and whisk with an electric handmixer for several minutes. Stir in the marrow or courgette.

Sift in the flour, spices, bicarb and baking powder, and mix well. Fold in the nuts and sultanas, then transfer to the tin. Bake in the oven for around an hour or until a skewer comes out clean – cover the cake with foil after around half an hour if it’s becoming well browned on top.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin, before slicing and serving – or freezing for easy lunch box snacks.