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Make this impressive pumpkin cake, then check out our pumpkin pie, vegan pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup and more pumpkin recipes. The un-iced sponge cake can be frozen.

Looking for more Halloween baking ideas? Try our Halloween cake, Halloween biscuits, Halloween cupcakes, toffee apples and plenty more.

Ingredients

  • 225ml rapeseed oil, plus extra for the tin
  • 175g sultanas
  • 1 orange, zested and juiced
  • 200g self-raising flour
  • 100g spelt flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp mixed spice
  • 250g soft light brown sugar
  • 50ml maple syrup
  • 4 large eggs
  • 350g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and grated (prepped weight 285g)
  • 100g walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)
  • 1-2 tbsp (optional) milk

ICING

  • 100g slightly salted butter, softened
  • 300g icing sugar
  • 100g soft cheese
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup, plus extra to drizzle
  • 1 orange, zested
  • walnuts or pecans, to decorate (optional)

Method

  • STEP 1

    Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line a 30cm x 20cm cake tin. Mix the sultanas with the orange zest and juice and put to one side.

  • STEP 2

    Mix the flours, baking powder, mixed spice and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk the oil, maple syrup and eggs in a jug. Tip the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk for 1-2 minutes with an electric hand whisk until just combined. Tip in the sultanas with the juice and zest.

  • STEP 3

    Gently fold in the pumpkin and nuts, if using. If the batter is very thick, add the milk to loosen. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.

  • STEP 4

    To make the icing, beat the butter until pale. Sieve in the icing sugar in batches, beating well between each addition. Beat in the soft cheese and maple syrup. Swirl the icing over the top of the cake with a palette knife. Decorate with the orange zest, a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkling of nuts, if using. Cut the cake into 12 squares. Will keep for three days in an airtight container in the fridge.

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