If you don’t really ‘do’ cakes (like me!) give a loaf cake a go – they’re just so easy. The Pistachios, lime and courgette (zucchini!) in this one are a match made in heaven. The cream cheese icing makes it a little like carrot cake – with a twist!
I’m not a huge baker, but when I do bake I usually go for super easy, crowd pleasing and fool proof.
Some of my go-tos are this 6-ingredient Swedish chocolate cake, and these amazing low sugar blueberry muffins.
The other kind of cake that doesn’t phase me is loaf cakes! (And if you’re a fan of loaf or pound cakes too, try this Nutella cake)
My original intention with this cake was to copy a gorgeous lime and pistachio cake I tasted in a café. The owner very kindly gave me the recipe (how great is that?) but of course I lost it.
So what’s so great about this courgette cake?
So I had to use another recipe for my zucchini bread, but I’m happy to say it’s just as delicious. The cake doesn’t taste of ‘vegetable’, but what a bonus that there’s a bit of extra goodness in there. It’s a perfect excuse to have more than one slice.
You’ve got the ‘carrot cake-like’ texture from the zucchini, the tangy lime and the crunchy, slightly salty pistachios – all topped with the sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting (a big fat layer of it).
What ingredients do you need?
Other than the usual suspect cake ingredients – eggs, sugar, oil, flour, baking powder – this is all you need:
- Greek yoghurt
- 2 limes (one for the cake, another for the icing)
- grated courgette/zucchini
- pistachio nuts
For the cream cheese icing (don’t skip this part!) you need just cream cheese, butter, icing sugar, and a lime.
Pro tip: Buy shelled pistachios! I know they’re expensive but just buy as many as you need from a ‘Scoop and Weigh’ or similar. The first time I made the mistake of buying unshelled pistachios and they took forever to get out of the shells.
How do you make it?
There are just 4 simple steps:
Step 1: Whisk all of the ‘wet’ ingredients together, including the lime zest and juice. I use oil instead of butter, so there’s no creaming of butter and sugar.
Step 2: Fold in the grated courgette / zucchini, flour and pistachios.
Step 3: Pour into a loaf tin and bake!
Step 4: Top with a yummy cream cheese and lime icing. Sprinkle more pistachios and lime zest over the top for added pizzazz!
Got lots of zucchini to use up? Try these light and crispy zucchini fries!
More cakes to impress with
Here are some of my other go-to cakes:
- No one can believe this ooey, gooey 30-minute chocolate cake is healthy! You can serve it plain or turn it into a birthday cake. I once turned it into a digger or ‘construction cake’ like these ones for my son’s birthday and it was wonderful!
- When I want an easy crowd pleasing cake for guests I nearly always choose this Italian apple cake or this 6-ingredient Swedish chocolate cake.
- If you have friends or family coming over for morning or afternoon tea and cake, may I suggest either this lemon mascarpone cake or this sticky blueberry lemon curd cake? Both absolutely delicious!
Or have a browse of all my cakes here.
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pistachio, lime & zucchini loaf
Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)
For the loaf
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup soft brown sugar
- 1/2 cup oil (I used rapeseed)
- 6 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 lime zest and juice
- 9 ounces zucchini/courgettes grated
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3.5 ounces pistachio nuts
For the lime-cream cheese icing
- 4.5 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups confectioners’/icing sugar
- 1 lime zest and 2 teaspoons juice
Instructions
- Line a loaf tin with baking paper and pre-heat the oven to 170C/340F.
- Whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, yoghurt, vanilla essence, lime zest and juice in a large bowl.
- Stir in the zucchini and then fold in the flour and baking powder and most of the pistachios (save a couple of tablespoons).
- Pour the mixture into the loaf tin, then bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the loaf is risen and golden and a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Then cool completely on a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat together the cream cheese and butter, then add most of the lime zest and the juice. Finally, stir in the icing sugar. Keep adding more icing sugar until the icing seems thick enough to sit on top of the cake without sliding off!
- When the cake is completely cool, spread the icing over the top. Decorate with the remaining pistachios and lime zest.
Jennifer Farley says
This loaf is seriously beautiful! What an amazing combination of flavors.
Helen says
Hello, Jennifer! Thank you so much for the compliment. The lighting isn’t great in these photos, but the loaf did look quite pretty in the end 🙂
Denise says
This looks just my sort of cake. Pinned for later.
Helen says
Hello, Denise, and thank you so much for pinning!
cheri says
Hi Helen, I have the dreaded safe places too, ten years ago I put a recipe that someone gave me that they paid 200.00 dollars for. And I have been looking on and off for it since. Anyway, lovely looking loaf, I love loaf cakes too!
Helen says
Oh nooo, that’s so awful, Cheri! But I must admit I don’t feel so bad now about losing my recipe! Really hope you find it one day soon … and when you do I’ll look forward to seeing it on the blog! 🙂
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe says
I love loaf cakes, and this one is SO pretty. That lime cream cheese frosting has me swooning!
Helen says
Thank you very much, Amanda!! 🙂
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
So you went ahead and put three of my favorite things in a cake. Yes please.
Helen says
Yay!! 🙂
Eva says
J’ai regardé toutes tes recettes de cet été ! Tu as très bien travaillé! Tous me paraît délicieuses. Ton cake est sublime et on a le même assiette rose! J’adore cette vaisselle anglaise. Je ne me fatigue jamais de la voir.
Maintenant que je suis de retour pas question de raté une autre de tes recettes!
Helen says
Merci, Eva! Malheureusement, j’ai moins temps en ce moment de faire autant de reccettes que j’aimerais. J’attends moi aussi tous ces nouvelles recettes avec impatience! 🙂
Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom says
Oh, Helen! I’m in love with this zucchini loaf! It has everything I love AND I just so happen to have all of the ingredients! My cousin gave me a gazillion zucchinis from her garden so this post is perfectly timed. It looks so wonderfully moist and that frosting… wow-wee, I could put that on all sorts of stuff! I can already see myself just eating it by the spoonful right out of the bowl!
Helen says
So happy this was well-timed for you, Kathleen! This is actually the first time I’d ever made a zucchini cake and I was pleasantly surprised. And I must say the frosting is gooood … definitely ‘eat-by-the-spoon-able’!!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I actually really like baking and the precision of it all… I find it therapeutic. BUT I don’t do it all that often, especially cakes. However, I totally agree that loaf cakes are a whole different story! LOVING this loaf cake! The flavors of pistachio, lime and zucchini sound killer PLUS cream cheese frosting?! GAHH, my FAVORITE! Pinned! Cheers, girlfriend- to a beautiful day!
Helen says
Hello, Cheyanne! Not liking the precision is probably just a polite way of explaining away my laziness! 😉 Thanks so much for your enthusiasm for this easy loaf of mine and thanks for pinning, too. You have yourself a great day, too 🙂
Dini @ The Flavor Bender says
I definitely want to give this cake a go! It looks so beautiful and the green is drawing me in!! I learnt the hard way about shelling pistachios! 😀 My parents always bought unshelled ones – but the kicker is that I hated pistachios when I was young and only sucked on the salted shells (I know, I’m weird!!)
I know better now and get the shelled pistachios and hide it away so I don’t finish it in one day! 🙂 I”ll have to take the bag out to make this beautiful cake!
Helen says
Yup, you’re weird, Dini, but we love you anyway!!! (but don’t worry, I’m sure I’m even weirder!) Really hope you do give this a go! 🙂
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen says
I can totally imagine how zucchini, pistachio and lime would work, such a good idea! And that dripping cream cheese frosting looks divine – its almost like a tropical green twist on a carrot cake! 🙂
Helen says
Hello, Claudia! That’s a great description – a tropical green twist on a carrot cake – wish I’d thought of it! 🙂
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
Oh my! That is just so pretty! I want to make it simply for the fact that I can’t stop looking at it 😀
Helen says
Glad you like it, Lorraine … what I can’t stop doing is eating it, unfortunately! 🙂
[email protected] says
Great minds, I just posted a pistachio cake yesterday. I love the use of zucchini in the loaf, I could use a slice or 2 right now with a pot of tea.
Helen says
Loved the look of your cake too, Janette … swap you a slice? 😉
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
This is such a gorgeous loaf, Helen! I am so amazed at the fact that you crammed it full of zucchini and pistachios – what a delight a slice of this would be to indulge in!
Helen says
I would have guessed that this is just up your alley, Shashi! You always come up with amazing-sounding combinations that I know would taste amazing. 🙂
[email protected] The Gastronomic Bong says
OMG!! this looks so so good, Helen! Pistachio, zucchini and lime what a fab combination! And the cream cheese frostings with this cake sounds divine!! 😀
Helen says
Thank you so much, Arpita! 🙂
Lemonade Wise says
That is a combination I never would have thought of! I’ve not got round to making a zucchini cake before, it just sounds weird – the idea of putting a green vegetable in a cake! I know know, I should just try it 🙂
Helen says
I know, I thought it sounded weird, too, but think of all that green goodness hanging out in there … and I promise you it tastes good! 🙂
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext says
Love loaf cakes! I definitely prefer making them to multi-layer cakes – I’m terrible at frosting cakes! 😀 Love the pistachio and lime, sounds like a great combo! That cream cheese frosting is perfect!
Helen says
Thanks so much, Jess! I haven’t frosted too many cakes before, but I have a feeling I wouldn’t be a pro, either! That’s why I love making loaf cakes 😉
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
I like the Greek yoghurt in this, I bet it makes it really light. I also love pistachios in cakes, they are my favourite nut by far!
Helen says
Me too … I always love pistachio ice cream, as well. Glad you like the sound of this cake, Dannii, and don’t think it’s TOO weird 😉
Chrissy says
These are the prettiest pictures (for what is i’m sure one delicious cake). It’s not often you see lime in cakes. I like it!
Helen says
Thanks, Chrissy! Glad you think this sounds OK! 😉
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
It’s not just you. I have placed an item in a safe place and have forgotten where the safe place was more times than I care to admit. This loaf looks divine, and love the sound of zucchini, lime, and pistachio! Pinning.
Helen says
Thank you so much, Thao … and for the pin! 🙂
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
Sometimes there’s nothing like a simple loaf cake! This one looks just delicious–pistachio + lime sounds like the perfect way to spice up a traditional zucchini cake 🙂
Helen says
Hi, June! Really happy you like the sound of this! 🙂
cecilia moss says
Absolutly fabulous so yummy but i had to use a 9 inch round cake tin
Thanks
Helen says
Hi Cecilia! I’m so happy you made this and enjoyed it! I loved it but felt like not everyone would. No problem that you used a 9-inch round tin. Hey, if it still tastes good… 🙂