Monday Bake - Courgette and Maple Syrup Cake

The weather has been glorious all weekend.  It's been a bank holiday here today and the sun shone all day - makes a change from the usual dull rainy ones we seem to have.  

Hubby finally got his allotment and has been popping off in the evenings to dig over the ground and start planting.    We have got a lovely plot - there is a row of Hazel at the bottom - providing a bit of a hedge between us and the car park.  My plan is for this bottom part to be mine!   Once we have a wee tool shed in place - I will bring our current garden bench down and - oh yes I can see myself sitting there quite happily, watching Hubby doing all the hard work...hee hee.   

Today he set off about 10am (I was sorting out our garage - eugh - it is just full of "stuff" - big trip to the recycling centre this week me thinks).  Then Minibakebakegirl and I cycled down at lunchtime with a picnic - we sat by the hazel (yes it is a perfect spot)   The allotment is near a river so we went for a wee wander - we raced dandelion flowers in the water - a lot of Minibakebakegirls got stuck!   After lunch we cycled home.

I really should have made this cake this morning to take with us for our picnic.  Even though we are not growing courgettes this year, we have in the past and one little plant does produce quite a few!

Ingredients:
225g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
50g caster sugar - plus a little extra for dusting
100g sour cream
100ml maple syrup plus 1tbsp for the glaze
75g unsalted butter - melted
1 medium egg
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
75g sultanas
125g coarsely grated courgette
1 tsp dark rum

Method:
Preheat the oven to 190c/170 fan/GM5.
Line a 2lb loaf tin.
To a large bowl add the flour, baking powder and sugar.
To a medium bowl add the sour cream, maple syrup, egg, butter and lemon zest and whisk all together.  To this bowl add the sultanas and courgette.
Tip the wet ingredients to the dry and loosely combine.
Pour into the tin and smooth the surface.   Dust with the sugar and bake for 45 - 55 minutes until golden and crusty and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Mix the 1tbsp maple syrup with the rum and drizzle over the top.
Leave in the tin for 30 minutes and then leave to cool on a wire rack.

Hope you have had a lovely Monday too.

Bakebakegirl,

Today's top three radio songs:

1. Magnetized - Johnny Hates Jazz
2. Don't Go - Yazoo
3. People Everyday - Arrested Development