This recipe makes a three-tier cake, serving 12-15. You will need 1hr 20 minutes to make it. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients
For the cake
400g courgette (200g once grated and strained)
300g sunflower oil
450g caster sugar
Zest of 3 limes
450g plain flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
Juice of ½ lime
0.5 tsp salt
3 sprigs lemon thyme, destalked
150g morello glacé cherries, halved

For the frosting
135g unsalted butter, softened and cubed
290g mascarpone or soft cream cheese, at room temperature
460g icing sugar, sieved
Zest of ½ lime
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

To finish
20g pistachios, roughly chopped 
20g morello glacé cherries, roughly chopped
Zest of ½ lime
Mini meringues (optional)

Tools
MultiPro Express Weigh+ with Express Serve
3 x 20cm  cake tins
Large mixing bowl
Muslin cloth

You can get ahead by measuring out your ingredients. If you are using your MultiPro Express Weigh+, take advantage of the integrated digital weighing and weigh ingredients directly into the bowl or tray. 

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Assemble your food processor and fit the small drive shaft to the main shaft.

Fit the Express Serve base onto the main bowl, and then fit the slinger plate. Fit the fine grating disc before fitting the lid.

Line a large mixing bowl with a muslin cloth and place it beneath the Express Serve outlet.

Select medium speed. Add the courgettes to the feed tube one by one, using the pusher to feed them into the grating disc.

Once you have grated all the courgette, gather up the edges of the muslin cloth and squeeze the excess liquid into the bowl beneath. Discard the liquid.

Watch how quick and easy using the Express Serve makes grating the courgette for the cake here.

Remove the Express Serve attachment and fit the knife blade to the main bowl. Weigh the caster sugar into the food processor bowl. Reset the scales and weigh in the sunflower oil. Add the lime zest and fit the lid.

Process on medium speed for 1 minute to combine.

Add the flour, baking powder, eggs, vanilla extract, lime juice, salt and lemon thyme. Process for another minute on medium speed to combine.

Add the cherries and grated courgette to the bowl. Use the pulse function in short bursts to combine.

Divide the mixture evenly between the tins. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Clean the food processor bowl and fit the dual metal whisk. Add the unsalted butter to the bowl and process on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the mascarpone, icing sugar, vanilla extract, lime zest and juice to the bowl. Process on high speed for 1 minute, or until combined.

Spread the mascarpone frosting over the top of each cake and add a sprinkling of chopped pistachios, chopped cherries and lime zest. Sandwich the layers together and decorate the top with the mini meringues.

Clean the food processor bowl and fit the dual metal whisk. Add the unsalted butter to the bowl and process on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the mascarpone, icing sugar, vanilla extract, lime zest and juice to the bowl. Process on high speed for 1 minute, or until combined.

Spread the mascarpone frosting over the top of each cake and add a sprinkling of chopped pistachios, chopped cherries and lime zest. Sandwich the layers together and decorate the top with the mini meringues.