NICOLAS SPICY PUMPKIN CAKE

Nicola Secrett our farm sales manager, has a reputation for being a very fine cook! Here is her recipe for spicy pumpkin cake, lovely with a cuppa!

Makes 1 large tray

250mls vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
400g pumpkin puree, fresh or tinned
1tsp vanilla extract
425g caster sugar
300g plain flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp ground nutmeg
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground allspice
1tsp ground cloves
pinch of salt
4tbs chopped nuts (optional)
Icing sugar to serve.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/Gas Mark 4 and grease or line a 24cm square cake tin for a deep cake or 22x32cm for a thinner one as served at pumpkin week (shown here).

Cream together the oil, eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
Mix the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and spices together and sieve into a mixing bowl.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients and fold in the nuts (reserving a few for the topping).
Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin and sprinkle the reserved nuts on top and bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 1 hour.
Test the middle of the cake with a skewer and if it’s clean on removal the cake is cooked. If not return and bake until cooked through.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin then turn out and sprinkle with icing sugar (optional) and serve.

This cake will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container.