Halloween pumpkin cake
Prep:20 mins
Cook:30 mins
Skill level Easy
Servings Cut into 15 generous portions
(Like carrot cake? Then try using up your leftover pumpkin in this clever tray bake for Halloween)
Ingredients For the cake ·
300g self-raising flour
300g light muscovado sugar
3 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
175g sultanas
½ tsp salt
4 eggs, beaten
200g butter, melted
zest 1 orange
1 tbsp orange juice
500 g (peeled weight) of pumpkin or butternut squash flesh, grated
For drenching and frosting ·
200g pack soft cheese
85g butter, softened
100g icing sugar, sifted
zest 1 orange and juice of half
Pumpkins can vary dramatically in water content, so keep an eye on the cake towards the end of cooking – yours may take less or more time to cook through. If you’re not carving out a pumpkin this year butternut squash works brilliantly, too.
Method
Heat oven to 180 C/fan 160 C/gas mark 4. Butter and line a 30 x 20 cm baking or small roasting tin with baking parchment. Put the flour, sugar, spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine. Beat the eggs into the melted butter, stir in the orange zest and juice, then mix with the dry ingredients till combined. Stir in the pumpkin. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 30 mins, or until golden and springy to the touch.
To make the frosting, beat together the cheese, butter, icing sugar, orange zest and 1 tsp of the juice till smooth and creamy, then set aside in the fridge. When the cake has baked, cool for 5 mins then turn it onto a cooling rack. Prick, all over with a skewer or fork and drizzle the rest of the orange juice whilst still warm.
Leave to cool completely.
Trim the edges of the cake.
Give the frosting a quick beat to loosen, before, using a palette knife to spread the icing over the top of the cake. It will keep in the fridge short term so you can take out as few or as many pieces as required before serving.
(Will keep, covered, for up to 3 days in the fridge.)
Prep:20 mins
Cook:30 mins
Skill level Easy
Servings Cut into 15 generous portions
(Like carrot cake? Then try using up your leftover pumpkin in this clever tray bake for Halloween)
Ingredients For the cake ·
300g self-raising flour
300g light muscovado sugar
3 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
175g sultanas
½ tsp salt
4 eggs, beaten
200g butter, melted
zest 1 orange
1 tbsp orange juice
500 g (peeled weight) of pumpkin or butternut squash flesh, grated
For drenching and frosting ·
200g pack soft cheese
85g butter, softened
100g icing sugar, sifted
zest 1 orange and juice of half
Pumpkins can vary dramatically in water content, so keep an eye on the cake towards the end of cooking – yours may take less or more time to cook through. If you’re not carving out a pumpkin this year butternut squash works brilliantly, too.
Method
Heat oven to 180 C/fan 160 C/gas mark 4. Butter and line a 30 x 20 cm baking or small roasting tin with baking parchment. Put the flour, sugar, spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine. Beat the eggs into the melted butter, stir in the orange zest and juice, then mix with the dry ingredients till combined. Stir in the pumpkin. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 30 mins, or until golden and springy to the touch.
To make the frosting, beat together the cheese, butter, icing sugar, orange zest and 1 tsp of the juice till smooth and creamy, then set aside in the fridge. When the cake has baked, cool for 5 mins then turn it onto a cooling rack. Prick, all over with a skewer or fork and drizzle the rest of the orange juice whilst still warm.
Leave to cool completely.
Trim the edges of the cake.
Give the frosting a quick beat to loosen, before, using a palette knife to spread the icing over the top of the cake. It will keep in the fridge short term so you can take out as few or as many pieces as required before serving.
(Will keep, covered, for up to 3 days in the fridge.)