Pumpkin Cake

It is time. The leaves are turning shades of brown, yellow, red, and orange. The days are getting colder and rainier, and the nights longer. And of course — Halloween is just around the corner. That means it’s time for all things pumpkin.

I love a moist, flavorful cake, and this pumpkin cake recipe is just perfect for when you have some leftover roasted pumpkin on hand.

---

---

 Ingredients (for a classic rectangular loaf tin):

·     300 g roasted (leftover) pumpkin (chunks, squares, logs, …)

·     200 g spelt flour

·     1,5 teaspoon of baking powder 

·     1/4 teaspoon of salt

·     1 teaspoon of vanille extract (or 1 package of vanille sugar)

·     1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

·     1 teaspoon ground cinnamon*

·     1 pinch ground cloves

·     1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·     3 eggs 

·     100 g white sugar

·     90 g brown sugar

·     120 g sunflower oil

·     60 g sour cream

·     Pecans (2 handfuls) 

*You can also use ‘speculooskuiden’. In that case, skip all the spices, and add 2 teaspoons of this mix.

---

Directions:

1. Blend the wet ingredients.
   In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the roasted pumpkin, sour cream, eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, and sunflower oil. Mix until smooth and creamy — no need to overmix, just until everything comes together nicely.

2. Combine the dry ingredients.
   In a separate bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

3. Fold together.
   Gently fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture using a spatula. Mix just until no visible flour remains — the batter should be smooth and slightly thick.

4. Bake.
   Pour the batter into a lined or greased loaf tin. Sprinkle the pecans on top and a sprinkle of salt. Bake at 175°C for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.