PUMPKIN CAKE FOR HALLOWE'EN
(This is rather like a carrot cake)
If you are intending on making Jack O'Lantern Pumpkins for Halloween, you will find yourself left with a huge amount of pumpkin flesh.  Why not try making this pumpkin cake?  Its easy to make and tastes delicious.  Please give us your feedback when you make the cake.

CAKE INGREDIENTS

300 gm Self Raising Flour
300 gm light muscovado sugar
3 teaspoons mixed spice
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
175 gm sultanas
half teaspoon salt
4 eggs
200 gm butter
zest and juice of one orange
500 gm grated flesh of pumpkin or butternut squash

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180 degrees for fan ovens; Gas Mark 4 or 160 degrees for ordinary ovens

Prepare a 20cm x 30cm cake tin OR 2 x 8 inch sandwich tins by greasing and lining with greaseproof paper

Place dry ingredients (flour, sugar, spice, bicarbonate, sultanas and salt) in a mixing bowl.

Melt the butter, beat the eggs and then beat the eggs into the butter

Stir orange zest and one tablespoon of orange juice into the butter and egg mixture

Add pumpkin flesh to dry ingredients

Stir butter mixture into dry ingredients

Pour batter into tin(s)

Bake for APPROXIMATELY 30 minutes
****** Pumpkins can vary in water content which can affect the cooking time. So keep an eye on your cake towards the end of the cooking time and adjust timing as necessary. Test for readiness. If the cake is ready, a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake will come out clean.

When ready leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes to cool slightly then turn out onto a wire tray. Skewer all over and drizzle with the rest of the orange juice (from the 2 oranges) while still warm. Leave cake to cool.

FROSTING

200 gm soft cheese
85 gm softened butter
100 gm sifted icing sugar
zest of one orange
1 tablespoon orange juice

Beat all ingredients together and leave in the fridge

LEAVE CAKE TO COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE APPLYING ICING

Give the frosting a quick beat before icing the cake

Now apply your edible cake topper according to the instructions. Don't forget to look at the video to see just how easily they are applied!

Your cake can be kept in the fridge for about three days