Spiced Orange Pumpkin Cake

This delicious, lightly spiced pumpkin cake flavoured with orange is special. It's dairy-free, made with wholemeal flour and also contains less sugar than many other equivalent bakes. Perfect for autumnal festivities, especially Bonfire Night and Halloween.

Servings: 16 slices

Calories: 211kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Equipment:

power blender

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Cake

180 g coconut sugar or soft brown sugar (I used muscovado)

3 large eggs

150 ml neutral cooking oil (I used sunflower oil)

1 organic orange zest and juice

pinch fine sea or rock salt

400 g pumpkin purée (I used homemade)

225 g wholemeal flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

2 tsp mixed spice or pumpkin spice

Blood Icing

50 g icing sugar

1 tsp beetroot powder (optional)

Instructions

Pumpkin Cake

Set the oven to 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4).

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together until any sugar lumps have disappeared.

Add the oil, salt, orange zest and all but 1 tbsp of the juice (keep this for the icing). Whisk again.

Add the pumpkin puree and whisk until everything is well incorporated.

Sieve in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and the spices. Discard any particularly large bits of bran that are left in the sieve. Ours goes onto the compost heap.

Fold the dry ingredients in with your whisk or a large metal spoon until everything is just about blended.

Pour into an oiled bundt-type silicone mould or tin. 

Alternatively, use a 23cm (9") deep round cake tin or mould. 

For a traybake, use a 23cm (9") square cake tin or mould.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 40-45 minutes for a bundt or ring mould and 35-40 minutes for a square tin. 

The top should be firm to the touch, and an inserted skewer needs to come out more or less clean.

Leave to cool in the mould for ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Blood Icing

Sieve the icing sugar and beetroot powder into a bowl. 

Then add enough of the reserved orange juice to make a slightly runny icing. Stir well.

Drizzle the icing over the top of the cooled cake.

Notes

If making a traybake, cover with a cream cheese frosting flavoured with orange. Slice into squares.

Don't just save this cake for Halloween; it's a fabulous autumn bake for any occasion. 

Just omit the beetroot powder from the icing, unless you like the bloody look.

Please note that calories and other nutritional information are provided per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on the exact ingredients used.

Nutrition

Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 3954IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg

Recipe from Choclette @Tin and Thyme

Pumpkin and Orange bake

Ingredients:  

For the Cottage Cheese Base:  

• - 360 g cottage cheese  
• - 2 eggs  
• - 100 g Greek yoghurt  
• - 3-4 tbsp rice flour/oat flour  
• - Vanillin and sweetener (to taste)  

For the Pumpkin Base: 

• - 500-700 g pumpkin puree  
• - 2 eggs  
• - 3-4 tbsp rice flour/oat flour  
• - Zest of one orange  
• - Sweetener (to taste)  

Instructions: 

1. Begin by preparing the pumpkin. 

Bake the pumpkin using your preferred method. I suggest baking it in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 40 minutes, or until it is soft.  

2. Once cooked, puree the pumpkin and then add the remaining ingredients for the pumpkin base: eggs, rice flour, orange zest, and sweetener. Mix everything thoroughly or puree again until the mixture is smooth.  

3. Prepare the cottage cheese base. 

In a separate bowl, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, rice flour, vanillin, and sweetener. Blend until smooth.  

4. In your baking dish, alternate layering the cottage cheese base and the pumpkin base, starting from the centre and working your way out.  

5. Bake the casserole in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 40-50 minutes.  

Note:

- The consistency of the pumpkin base should be similar to that of the cottage cheese base. Depending on the type of pumpkin used, you might need to add a few extra tablespoons of flour to achieve the right consistency.

Cornstarch: 

For a softer cake, you can add cornstarch to all-purpose flour, but avoid using it as a direct substitute for rice flour on its own, as it can result in a dry cake.

Texture: 

Rice flour itself can create a lighter, fluffier cake texture. When substituting, consider the desired outcome and choose a flour that complements the recipe.

Good substitutes for rice flour in a cake include oat flour, millet flour, or sorghum flour

Oat Flour: 

This is an excellent choice as it has a comparable flavor to rice flour and can be easily made at home by grinding raw oats in a food processor. 

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