Plain Pumpkin Cake with raisins
My first try, no electric whiskers, no whiskers, no spatula are used yet I end up into a delicious,
spongy with a pumpkin flavor which is irresistable!
Means you can bake it in a wood oven in a forest
Ingredients for the pumpkin purée
200g pumpkin, wash, remove the seeds and clean
1 cup regular white sugar and 1 cup icing sugar or 2 cups
castor (super fine) sugar
2 tbsp soften salted butter or vegetable margarine
1/4 cup freshly made pumpkin purée
2 medium beaten eggs
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tbsp vanilla essence
2 cups of white plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate)
1/2 cup raisins
Method:
Line an oven's tray with baking paper or aluminium foil
Place the pumpkin with the skin top side.
Bake in oven on 200℃ for 45 minutes or until fork tender.
Also make sure the pumpkin is ripe before using it.
You can use orange color pumpkin with thick hard skin and green skin color.
color. Green skin color will not tell if the pumpkin is ripe.
So check the color of the pumpkin itself, not the skin.
Once it is fork tender, peel off the skin while it is still hot. Use a fork or a spoon along with tongs.
Blend until smooth.
This purée does not taste like pumpkin we eat with rice. The bake method release an amazing sweet flavor,very different in term of taste and flavor. Baked pumpkin will be suitable for cakes whereas stove cooked pumpkin taste completely different. It can be refrigerated for weeks.
Now to make the batter:
For a small tall cake, use a 7" X7" tin. Grease it with butter or margarine then stick the bottom side inside with nonstick
baking paper. This will prevent the cake to stuck inside the tin
Mix with a spoon sugar and butter until crumbly. Add in the pumpkin purée and mix well.
Add the eggs and mix.
Add cinnamon powder,mix and vanilla essence. Mix well.
Place a sifter on top of the same bowl, add the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Fold with the spoon gently to combine until you end up into
a smooth batter. Do NOT overmix, if you overmix, your cake will not rise and turn dense.
Stir with the raisins. Pour into the prepared tin and pat several times to remove excess air.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes on 170℃. Check if the cake is well baked by inserting a toothpick/knife or skewer. Remove and see if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Let sit for 15 minutes. Place a plate on top. Invert, peel off the skin and re invert back.
Slice and serve, no need for frosting, I prefer it plain as it has raisins inside
The most simple yet best cake I have!
