Recipe: Light Spiced Pumpkin Cake
"This simple Pumpkin Cake is delicately spiced and slightly reminds me of tea brack, although it is certainly richer in texture and flavour," writes Mercy Fenton in her weekly column.
"It can be baked in a Bundt tin or a loaf tin, then eat sliced with a thin layer of butter or coat with this delicious vanilla cream cheese frosting. Either way, it a perfect cake for mid-term and Halloween and a great way to use up pumpkin puree."
250gr roasted pumpkin
75gr sugar
85gr dark brown sugar
60gr butter
2 large free-range eggs
½ tsp vanilla essence
182gr cream flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch all spice
½ tsp baking Powder
¼ tsp bread soda
¼ tsp salt
75ml buttermilk
- To prepare the pumpkin, first cut it in half and discard the stem section and stringy pulp. Next cut in to wedges.
- Line a large baking tray with tin foil, allowing extra so you can wrap the pumpkin in a sealed pouch.
- Lay the pumpkin in a single layer on top, then close the parcel tightly.
- Pour about 350ml of water on the bottom of the tray (just enough so the whole tray is covered with a thin layer of water).
- Bake in a pre-heated 180C for about 1½ hours for a medium-sized sugar pumpkin, or until tender.
- Once tender, remove from the foil, allow to cool to just warm, then puree in a food processor.
- If the mix is very tight and hard to process, add a little freshly squeezed orange juice.
- Lightly butter a small Bundt tin or a 2lb loaf tin. If using a loaf tin, line the base with a strip of parchment paper.
- Preheat oven to 350F / 175C degrees.
- Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until fluffy.
- Add the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating on well until they are mixed in.
- Next beat in the pumpkin.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.
- Add ½ of the flour mixture to the batter, mix well, hen add 1/3 of the buttermilk, mix until everything is combined.
- Continue alternating flour, then the buttermilk, into the sugar egg mixture on low speed.
- When everything is mixed in, scrape down the sides of the bowl once again, ensuring everything is well mixed.
- Pour batter into the chosen tin and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool before frosting.
113gr cream cheese
55gr butter at room temperature
100 to 150 gr icing sugar - depending on your taste.
32gr buttermilk
½ tsp vanilla essence
- Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Slowly add the sugar and buttermilk in turns, beating well between each addition.
- Finally, add the vanilla.
- Spread the frosting over the cake, chill to set.
- Sprinkle the cream cheese with a little cinnamon or crushed toasted hazelnut to serve.
App?
