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Autumn Celebration Cake

Who doesn’t love cake? This is a great alternative to carrot cake and makes for a very beautiful centrepiece for a special occasion.
Alternatively, just bake it to spoil yourself on a cold autumnal afternoon and enjoy in peace with a warm cuppa. We won’t tell a soul!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes
Cooling time30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Keyword: autumn, cake, pumpkin, vegetarian
Servings: 12 slices

Equipment

  • 1 20cm cake tin
  • electric mixer (or mixing bowl)
  • foil

Ingredients

Cake

  • 250 g grated pumpkin We’ve used the Red Kuri variety for this recipe
  • 200 g self-raising flour
  • 200 g unsalted butter plus extra for greasing
  • 220 g light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 2 tsp ground ginger

Icing

  • 150 g unsalted butter
  • 300 g icing sugar
  • 1 tbsp cream cheese

Decoration

  • A mixture of brambles, figs, calendula & nasturtium flowers to decorate (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 170c and grease and line your cake tin.
  • Put the butter, sugar and eggs into an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy.
    200 g unsalted butter, 220 g light brown sugar, 2 eggs
  • Fold in the grated pumpkin, orange zest and ground ginger.
    250 g grated pumpkin, Zest of 1 orange, 2 tsp ground ginger
  • Next, gently fold in the self-raising flour until combined and then transfer the batter into the cake tin.
    200 g self-raising flour
  • Cover the cake loosely with foil and bake for 60 minutes.
  • Remove the foil and bake for a further 20 minutes. Test the mixture is cooked by inserting a skewer into the cake and if ready it will come out clean. If any wet batter sticks to the skewer bake for a further 10 minutes and test again.
  • Leave to cool completely before icing. Resist the temptation!
  • To make the icing beat the butter in a kitchen mixer or use an electric hand whisk until lovely and light. Add in the icing sugar and whisk both ingredients together. Add a tablespoon of full fat cream cheese to the icing to take the edge off the sweetness.
    150 g unsalted butter, 300 g icing sugar, 1 tbsp cream cheese
  • Enjoy with a cup of tea in peace!