This was my first experience cooking with pumpkin. Feeling autumnal, I wanted to make a Spiced Pumpkin Cake. I’ve always bought pumpkin for the kids to carve during Halloween, but never really felt the urge to cook with them. Today was my first time, as I found these ‘munchkin pumpkins’ at the supermarket. What a name!?…not only do they sound cute, they look cute and I’m so glad I bought them.
Trending with the autumn theme, I’ve added carrot, raisins and a blend of ground ginger and cinnamon spices to the loaf cake. More of a sophisticated dessert than your typical favourites, I made this for my mother in law’s birthday, as she loves her fruit and veg and something other than the norm. It was the perfect addition to the afternoon tea to celebrate her special day.
With it being a success, I’ve since made Curried Lentil and Pumpkin Soup with this seasonal vegetable and looking forward to experimenting further, watch this space…
[lt_recipe name=”Spiced Pumpkin Cake” servings=”8″ prep_time=”10MIN” cook_time=”40M” total_time=”50M” difficulty=”Easy” summary=”An autumn treat with pumpkin, carrot, raisins and a blend of spices. Goes perfectly with a Masala Chai ” print=”yes” image=”https://www.spicella.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Spiced-Pumpkin-Loaf-thumbnail.png” ingredients=”6oz Unsalted butter;6oz Golden caster sugar;3 Eggs (large);6oz Self-raising flour;3oz Pumpkin (skinned and grated);2oz Raisins;2oz Carrots (grated);2 tsp Ginger powder;1 tsp Cinnamon powder;;Dark chocolate drizzle:;;40g Dark Chocolate 70% (melted);1 tbs Unsalted butter (melted); 3 tbs Icing sugar” ]In a mixing bowl, whisk and soften the unsalted butter for around 1-2 minutes. The butter should start to lighten in colour the more you whisk it.;Add golden caster sugar and whisk until it’s bound together.;Crack one egg and add to the mixture, whisking this in fully before adding in the subsequent eggs, again, one at a time.;This mixture should appear fluffy now. Sift in the self raising flour and mix.;Add carrots, raisins, ground ginger and ground cinnamon and give this a mix.;Line a loaf tin with baking paper and pour the mixture into the tin.;Bake in a fan assisted oven on the middle shelf for around 40 minutes. Once cooked, insert a knife into the middle of the cake, to ensure the knife comes out clean and cake is fully cooked.;For the drizzle melt the dark chocolate and butter and mix together in a small bowl.Stir in the icing sugar and drizzle over using a spoon or a piping bag.[/lt_recipe]
Equipment required
- Mixing bowl and whisk OR Stand food mixer
- Loaf tin
- Piping bag (optional if piping dark chocolate sauce)
Tips on making Spiced Pumpkin Cake
- I quite like ground ginger and cinnamon in desserts, especially at this time of the year. You could also consider adding ground nutmeg too, if you like.
- If you prefer to make cupcakes instead of a loaf cake, cook the cupcakes for approx. 12-13 minutes on 180C degrees in a fan assisted oven.
