Thursday July 29th

Day 99

The second courgette cake is a light, airy textured sponge. The grated speckles shine in its depths like shards of green glass. I think it looks pretty but possibly tasteless. So I slice it in half and swirl the top and middle with whipped cream cheese sweetened with icing sugar and sharpened with lime juice. A fine dusting of lime zest sits on the top - inviting, coquettish.

The first courgette cake which I made for the ruby celebration was dark and dense with muscovado sugar, dates and walnuts and long golden sultanas bought in the market in Uzes on the last afternoon of our holiday in France.

You wouldn’t know that the only thing these two concoctions have in common is courgette which really tastes of nothing in a cake. But makes you want to eat a slice anyway. Not a sticky crumb left of either tonight - just some happy friends.