Davina McCall's Courgette, Lemon & Poppy seed Cake

Davina McCall has always been associated with healthy living, as the author of several healthy cookbooks, Fitness dvd's and as presenter of The Jump, Davina is always championing the ability of the average-joe to transform their lives with small changes. And we love her for it!

So as its National Wellbeing at Work Day on Friday Mar 31st, i've managed to get my hands on some exclusive recipes from her latest cookbook, 'Sugar-Free in a Hurry'. All of these recipes are easy to make at home and are designed to help you eat healthier on-the-go. There are lots of lunchtime recipes that you can pack into a lunchbox for work too, so no more excuses for an unhealthy snack at work. Nutrition is vitally important to brain-function, cognitive skills and overall wellbeing so its just as important as going to the gym.

Davina has shared her delicious recipe for Courgette, Lemon and Poppy seed Cake below. This is the perfect alternative if you have a sweet-tooth and much healthier than indulging in a chocolate-fest!

Courgette, lemon and poppy seed cake

From Davina herself 'I’ve made cakes with carrots before but not with courgettes and was amazed – and thrilled – to find how good this is. It’s light, lemony and yummy. I’m now a courgette cake convert'.

Makes a 20cm round cake (14 slices)

285 calories per slice

385 calories per slice with icing

300ml light olive oil, plus extra for greasing

175g spelt flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of fine sea salt

seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod or

1 tsp vanilla powder

300g runny honey

3 large eggs

225g courgette

finely grated zest of 2 lemons

Icing

100ml whipping cream

200g mascarpone

3 tbsp maple syrup

finely grated zest of 1 lemon and

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Time check

Prep: 25 minutes

Cooking: 35 minutes

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Grease 2 x 20cm loose-bottomed cake tins with oil and place a circle of baking paper

in the base of each.

2 Sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl and add the vanilla. Pour the oil into a separate bowl, add the honey and beat until well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between each addition, then fold in the dry ingredients. Coarsely grate the courgette into a clean tea towel and squeeze well to remove the excess liquid, then add the grated courgette and the lemon zest to the mixture. Divide it evenly between the prepared tins.

3 Bake the cakes on the middle shelf of the oven for 40–45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

If the cakes look like they are browning too much on top, cover them loosely with baking paper or foil halfway through the cooking time.

4 When the cakes are cooked, take them out of the oven and leave them to cool for 5 minutes in the tins. Remove the cakes from the tins and leave them to cool on a wire rack.

5 For the icing, whip the cream in a bowl, then fold in the mascarpone. Add the maple syrup, half the lemon zest and the lemon juice. Spread half the icing over one cake, then place the other cake on top and cover the top with the remaining icing. Scatter with the poppy seeds and the rest of the lemon zest and cut into slices to serve.

More about her new book Davina McCall's 'Sugar-Free In a Hurry'

Davina McCall's delicious and healthy family recipes that help you balance blood sugar, lose weight and feel fantastic. Following on from the huge success of Davina's 5 Weeks to Sugar-Free and Davina's Smart Carbs, Davina McCall is back with a brand new cookbook to help you kick the sugar habit and cut out junk food for good, even if you're short on time.

Davina's Sugar-Free in a Hurry is full of healthy, delicious and - best of all - quick recipes for everything from lunch on the go and quick suppers to guilt-free snacks. Easy dishes include Mexican Tomato and Black Bean Soup, Healthy Chicken Caesar Salad and Banana, Oat and Sultana Muffins. With Davina's trademark warmth and wit, these recipes are for busy people who want to keep their blood sugar in check while eating delicious food.

Davina McCall is a TV presenter who has been on our screens since 1992. She is best known for her work on BIG BROTHER and LONG LOST FAMILY. She has also recently presented LIFE AT THE EXTREME, THE JUMP and THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.

A strong advocate for a healthy lifestyle she has a successful range of fitness DVDs and raised millions through her Sport Relief challenge in 2013. She is the author of DAVINA'S FIVE WEEKS TO SUGAR-FREE and DAVINA'S SMART CARBS.

#Lifestyle