Tuesday 6 November 2012

Orange Glazed Pumpkin Cake

If you have any pumpkins left over after Halloween this is a really interesting and delicious way to use them up. The cake is moist and moreish, subtly spiced and punctuated with notes of zesty fruit. It's also a doddle to make and dairy free! If you have trouble getting hold of pumpkins you can use butternut squash as a substitute, although I hate peeling them!

Prep time: 20 Mins
Baking time: 60 Mins
250g Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
225g Light Muscovado Sugar
225ml Vegetable Oil
4 Medium Eggs
200g Dried Fruit (As nice as you can get)
400g Pumpkin Flesh (Grated)
Zest of 1 Large Orange

For the glaze
Juice of 1 Large Orange
50g Caster Sugar

So it begins! Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and grease/line the base of a 23cm springform tin. Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Stir through the sugar, breaking up any lumps (I use my hands for this). In a separate bowl or large jug pour in the oil. Crack in the eggs and mix it around to break them up. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix to a smooth batter. Fold through the fruit, pumpkin and zest, then pour into the tin and bake in the middle of the oven for around 60 minutes, until a metal skewer can be cleanly removed when inserted into the centre of the cake. Remove and set aside for around 15 minutes.

In a small saucepan bring the orange juice and sugar to the boil. Let it bubble away for about 5-10 minutes, skimming off any white residue that raises to the surface. When it's syrupy remove from the heat. Carefully remove the cake from the tin and place on a wire rack. Brush over the orange syrup and leave to cool completely. Slice and serve! Boom!

No comments:

Post a Comment