Here we have it: autumn in a cake. Does it get any better than that? No, actually, it doesn’t. The pumpkin and apple complement each other beautifully in this recipe. You can easily scoff a hefty wedge of this baby and convince yourself that you’re getting two of your five daily portions of fruit and veg.

There’s something wonderfully wholesome about the flavour, partly because it’s packed with homegrown goodness, no doubt, but also perhaps because it’s dairy-free; I used rapeseed oil instead of butter. In fact, my original intention was to go all out with an entirely vegan recipe in anticipation of Veganuary which I plan to take part in, in the new year, but then I caved. I threw in some eggs and it was all downhill after that; I smothered the entire thing in a rich cream cheese frosting.

Well… it’s not quite January yet, is it? There’s still time for depravity.

Another slice, you say? Don’t mind if I do.

 

 

PUMPKIN AND APPLE CAKE
Prep: 20 mins  Cooking time: 1 hr 10 mins  Serves: 6-8

CAKE
100g pumpkin puree
1 Bramley apple, peeled and grated
175g self-raising flour
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
150g light muscovado sugar
150ml rapeseed oil
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

FROSTING
180g full fat cream cheese
80g icing sugar
80g softened butter
Handful of chopped walnuts

Method

Heat the oven to 160C (140C fan) and grease and line an 18cm cake tin.

Tip the oil, eggs and sugar into a large bowl and mix together before stirring in the pumpkin puree and grated apple.

Sift the flour, spices and bicarb into the bowl and mix together again.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and cook for 60-70 minutes, or until it feels firm and springy in the centre. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

For the frosting, beat together the icing sugar and butter until soft, before adding the cream cheese. Beat together until smooth.

Once the cake is cool, spread the frosting evenly over the top before sprinkling with chopped walnuts.

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