Making a cake from scratch can feel like a gamble for those with little experience, but when it comes to the classics, Mary Berry has a tip for almost any bake.

Her easy chocolate cake recipe swaps expensive dark chocolate for cocoa to enrich the flavour, and for lemon drizzle, she calls upon a common vegetable.

In their peak season from June to September, courgettes are a warm-weather crop that adds a punch of moisture to dishes when cooked.

And that’s exactly why Mary Berry adds them to her lemon sponge, which is a “delightful” bake with a “perfect blend of zesty lemon and subtle courgette”, according to British Eats.

Sharing the recipe online, author Eleanor claimed that the reliable recipe promises a “moist and delicious treat every time”.

Lemon courgette cake recipe

Ingredients

150ml vegetable oil

200g caster sugar

Three eggs

Two lemons – both zested, one juiced

One large courgette (200g)

250g self-raising flour

Half a teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

For the glaze

75g granulated sugar

One lemon, zest and juice

Method

Set the oven to 180C (160C fan, gas mark 4), then grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking paper. Alternatively, use a circular, loose-bottomed 8″/20cm cake tin.

Take a large mixing bowl and crack in the eggs, then add the caster sugar and vegetable oil before stirring with a wooden spoon.

Once everything is combined, coarsely grate the courgette into the bowl, then finely zest the two lemons into the mixture and add the juice of one lemon.

Carefully sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl and stir gently to combine, ensuring no lumps remain. Bake in the oven for 55 minutes to one hour until the cake is risen, golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

When the cake is cooked, remove it from the oven and gently pierce the top of the loaf or sponge in a few places with the skewer.

Now prepare the drizzle by combining the juice of one lemon with half the zest, then stir in the granulated sugar.

Stir to combine then pour the mixture over the hot cake and allow it to seep into the small holes. Allow the cake to cool entirely before removing it from the tin.

When lifted from the tin, slice into portions and enjoy straight away. Store the cake in an airtight container for three to four days after, or freeze individual slices for up to three months.