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5.0 from 66 votes

Lemon and Cucumber Cake with Gin Icing

This delicate green cucumber cake tastes like a lemon sponge with a subtle, refreshing flavour from the cucumber. It’s a summery cake and I’ve topped it with a gin icing. The gin gives light botanical flavours to the sweet icing to compliment the lemon and cucumber in the cake.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 325 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: International

Ingredients

For the Lemon and Cucumber Cake:
  • 200 g cucumber (about half an English cucumber)
  • Zest and juice of half a lemon
  • ⅔ cup (150g) butter , softened
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ¾ cups (200g) plain (all purpose) flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
For the Gin Icing:
  • ⅓ cup (75g) butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (200g) powdered icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon gin or substitute lemon juice

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F. Lightly grease 2 x 7in cake tins, 3 x 6in tins, or one 9 inch round cake tin.
  2. Wash and leave the skin on the cucumber and de-seed it by cutting it in half lengthways and scraping the seeds out with a teaspoon. Cut into chunks and puree until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice.
  3. Cream the butter, lemon zest, sugar and vanilla together for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each one in well.
  5. Add the baking powder to the flour and mix. Into the wet ingredients, stir in ⅓ of the flour mixture, then gently mix in ⅓ of the cucumber and continue until it is all combined.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean (it will take less time for the three small tins and slightly longer for the larger 9in tin). Allow to cool for five minutes in the tin and turn out on a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
For the Gin Icing:
  1. Beat the butter, icing sugar and gin together until smooth and fluffy. Keep in the fridge until ready to ice the cake. (To frost all the way around the cake, double the amount).

Nutrition Information

Calories 325kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 42g (14%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 16g (25%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Cholesterol 67mg (22%) Sodium 146mg (6%) Potassium 120mg (3%) Sugar 29g (58%) Vitamin A 520IU (10%) Vitamin C 0.5mg (1%) Calcium 42mg (4%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 325

% Daily Value*

Calories 325kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 42g 14%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 67mg 22%
Sodium 146mg 6%
Potassium 120mg 3%
Sugar 29g 58%
Vitamin A 520IU 10%
Vitamin C 0.5mg 1%
Calcium 42mg 4%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.