Spiced Pumpkin, Orange and Prune Cake

This cake is full of pumpkin, spice and all things nice, including half a cup of our home produced honey. Pumpkins are at their best right now, which is Autumn/Winter here in the Southern hemisphere, although because they are available all year round, it's easy to think that pumpkins don't have a season at all. However Autumn is it's time. When buying a pumpkin, the deeper the colour when it's cut, the riper and more delicious it is likely to be. My preference is always for the Kent or Jap pumpkin and that's what I used for this cake, one I bought from the local farmer's market. 

The beautiful orange colour of the cake in the photo below shows how rich the pumpkin I used was and the flavour comes through as well. If I was making this cake in summer I might not add the spices, it is a versatile cake mixture, however in Winter spices are just a must, aren't they? I've also iced this cake and sprinkled desiccated coconut on top as pumpkin and coconut are great together.

Fresh from the oven

Let's cook and soothe the soul.

Preheat your oven to 160 degrees C. Fan forced.

Ingredients:
250 g butter
1 teaspoon orange zest (1 orange)
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup good quality Honey from where you live (not heated or blended) or Maple Syrup
3 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup mashed pumpkin, not butternut (cooled)
1 cup diced prunes
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or allspice
2 cups Self Raising flour
3 tablespoons milk if required for a softer consistency

Method:
Cream butter with orange zest in a large bowl.
Add sugar and cream with butter and orange zest until light and fluffy.
Add eggs separately, beating well after each addition
Fold in pumpkin, orange juice, honey and prunes.
Then fold in sifted SR flour and spices.
If mixture appears to be too stiff, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until a softer consistency. This might be needed if you change the ingredients slightly. 
Pour into a greased and lined 22-23 cm spring form cake tin.
Bake for 50-60 minutes at 160 degrees C. Fan forced depending on your oven, but definitely check if it is cooked after 50 minutes. Insert a toothpick or fine metal skewer which will come out clean if it is cooked.

Delicious with orange zest icing

This cake is delicious iced with an orange zest flavoured icing, but is equally enjoyable just served with yoghurt and a dusting of icing sugar.

Orange Icing:
3 cups sifted icing sugar
3 tablespoons warm milk
1/3 cup softened butter
2 teaspoons orange juice
4 teaspoons grated orange zest

Ice when the cake is cool and removed from the tin. Mix butter into sifted icing sugar with a large spoon and add milk and mix.
Add orange juice and zest. Mix until mixture is smooth and all the icing sugar is mixed in. I like my icing for this kind of cake to be a little stiff and not runny, so if it is too runny and would run down the sides of the cake, I keep sifting icing sugar into the bowl, a tablespoon at a time,  until it is the right consistency for me.
However if you like more of a soft frosting to cover the whole cake, mix the ingredients in your Kitchen Aid or with a hand mixer until smooth, and cover the whole cake with frosting.

Garnish with finely chopped pistachios if you like. I just added a little desiccated coconut  for this cake.

Thanks for dropping by and have a wonderful weekend wherever you are,

Warm wishes

Pauline