Pumpkin and Walnut Cake

Whilst I do have a soft spot for a savory edge to sweets, using a vegetable as the flagship isn’t something I do very often. So the latest Sweet Adventures Blog Hop theme: ‘Cake & Three Vege’ hosted by JJ at 83&3rd was a good opportunity to try a vege-cake.

When recipes include vegies I always feel like I’m cheating on my serious sweets with a healthy alternative…but never fear this recipe will still give you that sugar buzz but you’ll feel really good about it, with less guilt, all because pumpkin is good for you!

This cake recipe is adapted from my brand new (still drooling over it) cook book from the San Franciscan bakery miette. As someone who works with graphic designers and printers, a fine book always makes me swoon, and people this is fine book. The pumpkin and walnut cake is soft and moist with a delightful cinnamon and nutmeg spice mix. Topped with cream-cheese icing it is along the same vein as a carrot cake but with the fabulous smoothness of the roasted pumpkin.

pumpkin and walnut cake

 ingredients

• 1 small butternut pumpkin – made into a puree
• 255 grams self-raising flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 340 grams caster sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup walnut pieces

method – pumpkin puree

1. To make the pumpkin puree preheat your oven to 200 degrees C. Cut the butternut pumpkin in half, place face-down on a sheet of baking paper on an oven tray. Bake the pumpkin in the oven for approximately 1 hour, or until soft.
2. Set the pumpkin aside to cool completely. Once cool, scoop out the seeds – you won’t be needing them. Then scrape out all of the pumpkin flesh  into a food processor (discarding the pumpkin skin). Whiz up until the pumpkin makes a puree.

method – cake

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C.
2. Place all of the dry ingredients, flour/spices/salt, in a bowl and mix to combine.
3. In your mixer whisk the eggs and sugar on a medium speed until the colour is lightened and then reduce speed to low. Slowly drizzle in the oil, continuously whisking, until the mix has emulsified, or about one minute.
4. Switch over to a paddle attachment on your mixer and add the pumpkin puree and mix on medium speed until combined.
5. By the tablespoon, slowly add in the dry ingredients. Allow the dry ingredients to be mixed through before adding the next spoonful. Give the bowl a good scrape down the sides to catch any bits stuck to the sides and give a final mix by hand whilst adding in the walnut pieces.
6. Pour the cake batter into a lined 20cm round tin and place in the oven for approximately 1 hour or until a cake skewer come away clean. I suggest checking the cake at the 45 minute mark, as your oven is probably WAY better than mine. If it still needs more time I usually add five minute intervals until it is done, just to make sure I don’t over cook it.
7. When cooked remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge, ditch the pan and allow to cool on a cake rack.

cream cheese icing

ingredients

• 450 grams cream cheese at room temperature
• 155 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
• 155 grams icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

method

1. Combine sugar and butter in a mixer. Mix on medium speed for approximately 2-3 minutes or until smooth and pale.
2. Add the cream cheese and mix thoroughly, for about 3 minutes. Don’t worry if there are a few little lumps of cream cheese, I quite like the little burst of richness this creates.
3. Finally mix in the lemon juice. Taste. If you would like a touch more lemon juice feel free to add it in, just don’t add too much!

Thanks to JJ for hosting the November Sweet Adventures Blog-Hop!