Pumpkin & Almond Cake Recipe

Pumpkin & Almond Cake Recipe


Ingredients

Serves 6-8. 20 mins prep time. 1hr cook time.

  • 1 kg pumpkin/butternut squash
  • 3 eggs
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 30g cornstarch
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • Butter for greasing
  • Flour for dusting


Cinnamon Glaze (Optional)

  • 120g icing sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract


Reduce the sweetness in this cake by not glazing the cake but instead decorating the top with some flaked almonds - or why not use both!

To make this recipe vegan, substitute the eggs for 3 mashed bananas and the milk for water.


Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees
  2. Cut the pumpkin into large chunks after scraping out the seeds and place on a baking tray. If using a butternut squash, cut in half, then scrape out the seeds – you don’t need to cut it up any smaller.
  3. Cook the pumpkin/squash for approximately an hour or until the flesh is soft.
  4. Scrape out the flesh and puree. If you have a ricer, you can use this to get the flesh to a smooth consistency.
  5. Cover a sieve with a muslin or similar clean cloth and press the pureed pumpkin into it to get rid of the excess water. The puree should weigh approximately 300g by the time you have pressed it.
  6. Dissolve the corn starch in cold water – approx. 1 tablespoon for every tablespoon of cornstarch.
  7. Whisk together the eggs and sugar until the mixture goes a pale-yellow colour. If substituting with bananas, make sure that the bananas and sugar are well mixed.
  8. Mix the ground almonds, salt and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Add the dissolved cornstarch and mix well.
  9. Add the egg mix/mashed bananas and the pureed pumpkin/squash. Mix until all of the ingredients are well combined.
  10. Pour the mixture in a cake tin that has been greased and dusted with flour.
  11. If using, scatter the top of the cake with flaked almonds and put in the oven for 1 hour or until the cake has set. To check if the cake is cooked through, stick in a knife at the centre of the cake – if it comes out clean it is ready to come out of the oven.
  12. Leave to cool before taking out of the cake tin. 
  13. If you are adding a cinnamon glaze, whisk together the icing sugar, cinnamon, milk and vanilla extract. Add more icing sugar in gradual amounts if you want it to be thicker.
  14. Drizzle over the cake!

Enjoy!