Date, Orange and Pumpkin Cake

This was my first attempt at using grated pumpkin in a cake recipe.  Come to think of it, it was my first time at using pumpkin in any recipe!  I have seen many pumpkin recipes on American websites but as far as I can tell it isn’t as popular in the UK. 

I like the look of it.  This large, imposing orange ball.  I didn’t want to attack it with a knife, to ruin its glowing spherical presence.  Then I realised what nonsense I was thinking and chopped it in half. 

I do tend to get stupidly attached to pretty/different/amazing looking things – which is why I’m a hoarder by nature.  Although, I really don’t want to be a hoarder because of the mess it entails and mess makes me upset.  So I hoard for a bit, then have an almighty purge of all belongings which usually end up with sisters and other family members.  These occasions are viewed as ‘events’ and everybody (that matters and is relevant) has to be there to make it a fair dispersal.  I’m not joking.  I really wish I wasn’t a hoarder.

On to the cake.  When I was thinking up this recipe, I knew that I wanted it to incorporate molasses sugar as I’m a little obsessed with it at the moment.  I’d been thinking of including dates into the recipe as I love the toffeeness they impart and this cake was to very much be a warming  autumn/winter cake.   It also had to have cinnamon as that just makes everything better.

Well it was a very big hit with the family, everyone loved it.  The cake itself was reminiscent of a carrot cake, especially with the inclusion of the icing.  I thought that the sugar might not be enough, but the addition of the dates added that extra sweetness so it was perfect.  The cake had a lovely warmth to it (from the cinnamon and dates) which made it perfect to eat on a cold autumn day.  The dates and molasses give a gorgeous toffeeness, the orange had just enough of a contrast (although was a little too subtle for some) and combined with the spices this was the equivalent of consuming a fragrant hug.

One issue I had was incorporating the molasses sugar with the dry ingredients.  Sugar is technically a wet ingredient and molasses sugar is wetter and stickier than most - I found that it began to clump as I was trying to mix it with the flour.  Next time I will add the molasses sugar to the melted butter rather than the dry ingredients.  I might also add in a little more liquid, either from the orange juice or from the date water - I was going to call this 'Sticky Pumpkin Cake' but the cake wasn't sticky enough to warrant the name.  Maybe by adding the extra liquid it will impart the required stickiness to be appropriate for the title.  Or, maybe by halving the sugar quantity and making the rest up with golden syrup it will give it that required gooey stickiness?  Hmmmm.

Anyway, I’m happy with this recipe.  This isn’t the first recipe I have created but it is one of the nicest so far and want it to be the first one I share.  Hope you like it.

Warming Pumpkin Cake (own recipe)

·         300g plain flour

·         200g molasses sugar (or dark muscavado sugar)

·         1 tsp cinnamon

·         2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

·         175g dates, chopped fairly thinly

·         4 eggs, beaten

·         200g butter, melted

·         Zest and juice of 1 orange (about 50ml)

·         500g pumpkin flesh, grated

Preheat oven to 200C, prepare a 10" round cake tin.

Pour about 5 tbsp of boiling water over the dates and leave to soak.

Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl.

Beat the eggs into the melted (but now slightly cooled) butter, stir in the orange zest and juice, then mix in the dry ingredients until fully incorporated.

Mix in the dates (including the water they have been soaking in) as well as the grated pumpkin and mix well.

Bake for about 1 hour, with the first 20 minutes at 200C, then lowering the oven temperature to 180C for the rest of the bake (although keep checking as, no doubt, your oven is different from mine).  Allow to cool before icing.

Orange Cream Cheese Icing:

·         200g cream cheese

·         100g butter, softened

·         250g icing sugar (about 2 cups)

·         Zest of 1 orange

Beat the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.  Add the icing sugar and beat again.  Add the orange zest and beat until incorporated.  Slather on to cooled cake.  Top with some orange zest if you like.

For Next Time

·         300g plain wholemeal or 150g plain and 150g plain wholemeal flour

·         200g molasses sugar

·         1 tsp cinnamon

·         2tsp bicarbonate of soda

·         175g dates, chopped and covered in 150ml boiling water

·         4 eggs

·         200g butter, melted

·         Zest and juice of 1 orange

·         500g pumpkin flesh, grated

Proceed as before but mix the sugar and melted butter together this time.