There is no need to waste the flesh and seeds when you have carved your pumpkin. Pumpkin flesh can be used in a variety of tasty recipes including American pumpkin pie, soups, curries and delicious cakes. The seeds can be washed, tossed in soy sauce or olive oil and herbs, then roasted.
SPICED PUMPKIN CAKE
250ml vegetable oil
3 eggs
400g pumpkin puree (gently boil or roast the pumpkin flesh till tender then drain well, if necessary, and blend till smooth)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
225g caster sugar
300g plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons chopped nuts (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease a 25cm cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.
- Beat together the oil, beaten eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract.
- Sift the flour, sugar, bicarbonate, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined. If desired, stir in some chopped nuts. Pour cake mixture into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cake cool in tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto a plate and sprinkle with icing sugar.
Jill Burn