Zucchini and walnut loaf

Tip: slice loaf and serve buttered. Or you can ice loaf with a small quantity of cream cheese icing. Decorate the top with extra toasted walnuts.

Ingredients

1 cup	Zucchini, grated (Main)
¼ cup	Brown sugar
¼ cup	Caster sugar
2 large	Eggs
½ cup	Olive oil
1 tsp	Vanilla extract, or paste
1 ½ cups	Plain flour
1 tsp	Baking powder
¾ tsp	Baking soda
1 ½ tsp	Ground cinnamon
½ cup	New Zealand walnuts, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a medium-sized loaf tin, about 21cm x 11cm x 5cm deep with baking paper. Pop the walnuts in a tray and place in the oven until lightly toasted, you will smell them.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the zucchini, brown sugar, caster sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla extract or paste. I mixed with a fork and only mixed until just combined.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Make a well in the centre and pour in the zucchini mixture. Mix gently, adding the walnuts until all is just incorporated.
4. Place in the prepared loaf tin and place in the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until firm to the touch. You can also insert a skewer into the centre of the loaf – it should come out clean. Remove from the oven and leave for 5 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack to cool.

See more of Kathy's simple baking recipes

• Cacao peanut slice
• Blueberry, apple and banana bran muffins