… another week and another event goes flying by and last nights was a Korean themed event for an international Gas company (it’s not all glamorous you know…) and sometimes i’m not quite sure I remember where I left toothbrush… and i know I shouldn’t complain because we’re busy but I tell you now, I cannot wait to get my head onto my own pillow, in my own bed…
… and it’s all a little confusing because i’m supposed to be posting about British Egg Week but that was last week and I ran out of time… and this week is supposed to be British Chocolate Week… and i’m sure next week is British Something Else Week but i’ve no doubt miss-placed my weeks… i’d quite like a British Dom Can Sleep For A Week, Week… but i doubt that’s going to happen any time soon… i’d probably have to lobby those big-wigs in Brussels to get that one passed anyway…
Pumpkin, Walnut and White Chocolate Loaf Cake
not only is it Halloween at the end of the month but it’s National Baking Week 15th – 21st October so I thought I’d take this opportunity to combine the two with this delicious, if a little unusual, loaf cake.
not only is it Halloween at the end of the month but it’s National Baking Week 15th – 21st October so I thought I’d take this opportunity to combine the two with this delicious, if a little unusual, loaf cake.
i know i’ve written about this recently but one of the ironic things about living in the middle of the beautiful Lincolnshire Countryside is that whilst I may be surrounded by nature’s bounty and that at this time of year, there may be pumpkins growing in the field next door, if I wanted to pop out to purchase a tin of pumpkin puree – something that’s readily available in every corner store in America, I’d find it rather hard to track down without travelling miles. With the popularity for celebrating Halloween here in the UK ever growing and demand for Lincolnshire pumpkins going through the roof you’d have thought that some of the American baking traditions would have crossed the Atlantic too. Pumpkin puree is used as regularly as we use carrots for carrot cake in the US and makes a wonderfully velvet addition to cakes, loaves and traybakes. You can purchase it in some of the bigger supermarkets and of course you can order it on-line but failing that it’s pretty simple to make your own from fresh, which I did for this wonderfully moist and rich pumpkin loaf cake.
For the pumpkin puree
1 medium pumpkin
For the cake
8oz self-raising flour
4oz butter or margarine
2oz ground almonds
2oz chopped walnuts
2oz white chocolate chunks
4oz dark brown sugar
2 eggs
4oz pumpkin puree
For the Cream-cheese Icing
200g full fat cream cheese
100ml whipping cream
5 tablespoons icing sugar
a little food colouring
– take your pumpkin, cut the top off and then cut it in half across the middle and scoop out the seeds
and the pith, then cut it into quarters
– lay the quarters, flesh side down, onto a baking tray with a little water in
– cover with foil and bake for 1 hour on 200C
–
– once they are soft, take them out of the oven, allow them to cool and scoop out the flesh
– puree with a hand-held blender or a fork
– place the flour in a large bowl and add the butter, crumble it together with your hands
– add the chopped walnuts, chocolate, sugar and almonds and stir in
– beat the eggs with the pumpkin puree then add this to the bowl – beat well together
– pour into a greased and lined loaf tin and bake on 190C for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean
– cool on a wire rack before icing
– for the icing whisk the cream cheese, sugar and cream together till stiff, then add any food colouring of your choice – I’ve gone for a subtle pale orange but you could go as garish as you like – it is Halloween after-all!
For more info on National Baking Week go to here and for the best Lincolnshire pumpkins go to www.david-bowman.co.uk
i’m entering this beautiful cake into one of my favourite monthly blog challenges we should cocoa… usually hosted so beautifully by Choclette from Chocolate Log Blog but this month is guest hosted by The Hungry Hinny as the theme is pumpkin…
eat and of course, enjoy!
I love the look of this, and especially like the combination of the pumpkin and white chocolate with the ground almonds and chopped walnuts – bet it was delicious!
I've never tried a cream cheese icing with cream rather than butter but yours looks lovely, will have to give it a go!
Thanks for entering We Should Cocoa – I'm glad I'll have at least one entry other than my own for the round up!
You absolutely cannot buy canned pumpkin here in New Zealand, or many other American ingredients in American cookbooks!
It does look like un unusual loaf, but those ingredients make me think it must be delicious!
have you a decent recipe for a scotch egg me old son?
There are so many fantastic pumpkin recipes out there. Let's add this one to the list shall we?
I love it when you are so busy you can't tell whether you or coming or going!! I've experienced that a bit lately myself. But you still have time this awesome loaf, so it can't be all bad, right?? 🙂
A wonderful recipe Dom and so full of autumn promise! Karen
It's quite funny, because a friend was moaning on twitter about not being able to find pumpkin puree in sainsbury's and having to wait till the next day to pop out to waitrose, when I'm thinking, wouldn't it be so much easier, cheaper, and faster just to do it yourself with a pumpkin? Hah. Anyway, great looking recipe dom! I have a weakness for anything squash related and have been eating it like it's going out of fashion but still am not sick of looking at new pumpkin ideas (:
I adore that there are a variety of nuts, chocolate AND pumpkin in this–the glutton in me is clapping her hands bc she wants it all! =)
This sounds delicious – a lovely combination of flavours!
What a great combination, I would have never thought to have pumpkin & chocolate! We're tripping over pumpkins here in the US, they are everywhere you look! It's such a beautiful time of year in New England too! I'll try to post some pumpkin photos this weekend – you won't believe it!
Ive often seen recipes that require canned pumpkin pie filling and never knew if you could just use 'real' pumpkin so next time I'll follow your recipe for purée! Thanks
Yum, this sounds really good! I love all the textures and flavours going on in this loaf!
Yes, pumpkin puree is hard to find in British shops – but then you try finding Marmite or Old English Marmalade in US shops!
Delicious looking cake – perfect for National Delicious Looking Cake Week. I'm afraid I can't keep up with all the official weeks. Luckily, there are plenty of Americans living round here so there's a plentiful supply of tins of pumpkin purée too.
Must stop licking my screen!! I really must try baking with pumpkins, it seems the trend is really picking up on this side of the pond. The white chocolate is, of course, the icing on the cake ;0)
Wonderful cake Dom, a most welcome entry to We Should Cocoa, even if it's not beautifully hosted by me 😉
I'd like a British Ros can sleep for a month week thanks! I feel like I've been so behind with blogging and especially blog reading so apologies for late comments but life has been crazier than usual lately. I made something with canned pumpkin puree but will try fresh pumpkins next time. This cake sounds gorgeous!
wow. it's really a good contribution to us guys not good at cakes, you know i did some cakes before but the taste it's not good, then i quit, so if you have interesting, you can load to cheap prada handbags
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