In the weeks leading up to Halloween I will usually make at least one pumpkin pie, if not two full pies and maybe a dozen mini pies! While I usually use my own pumpkin purée, I do like the convenience of canned pumpkin purée and I really wish it was something you could find easily in the shops here in the UK. Unfortunately it isn’t, but I did buy myself a 3-pack of pumpkin from Amazon to tide me over until I could get my hands on this years Jack O’Lanterns! After making some pies and also some very naughty chocolate chip pumpkin pancakes for Halloween morning, I had enough canned pumpkin left over to make this loaf cake. This loaf is very similar to a banana bread in consistency but with a more earthy, warm taste.
Ingredients:
- 85g unsalted butter/margarine
- 1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar or golden caster sugar (can be reduced to just 1 cup if a less sweet cake is desired)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 and 1/2 cups plain flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarb of soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup milk
- Pumpkin/mixed seeds for topping.
Method:
- Line your loaf tin with greaseproof paper and preheat your oven to gas mark 7/200 degrees/ 180 degrees (fan oven).
- Cream together the butter/margarine with the sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
- Mix in the pumpkin purée to the butter mixture.
- In a separate bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk until all ingredients are combined.
- Pour into the prepared loaf tin, scattering the top of the batter with seeds.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes. Test with a skewer as cake will be baked when the skewer comes out clean. If the cake begins to darken too quickly while baking, cover the top with some tinfoil.
You can of course change up the spices you use to suit your own tastes. Also (as you can see from the ingredients) you can also adjust the sweetness of this loaf by using more or less sugar – either way goes great with a cuppa!
I hope you enjoy making (and of course eating) your own version of my pumpkin loaf!
Nicola Cañaveras 