Ingredients
Cake Mix
- 17.6oz-500g baking margarine
- 8.8oz-250g light brown soft sugar
- 8 medium eggs (free-range)
- 17.6oz-500g self-raising flour (sifted)
- 1 ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8.4oz-240g golden caster sugar
- 4 teaspoons mixed spice
- 12.3oz-350g homemade pumpkin puree (see method)
Pumpkin Puree
- 1 small edible or carving pumpkin (I used carving as edible wasn't in stock)
Vanilla Latte Buttercream
- 17.6oz-500g unsalted butter (soft)
- 24.6oz-700g icing sugar (sifted)
- 4 teaspoons espresso powder
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3.3 fl oz-100ml double cream
- 4 tablespoons orange food colouring (optional)
Decoration
- Anything you fancy. I used icing eyes for a Halloween theme
Method
- Start by making the pumpkin puree. Pre-heat oven to 392˚f/200˚c regular oven or 356˚f /180˚c fan assisted oven. Pierce the pumpkin all over and pop in the microwave for 10mins. Cut in half through the side and place down on a baking tray flesh side down. Bake for 40mins. Remove from the oven and remove and discard the seeds. Scoop out the soft flesh into a blender and blitz into a puree
- Pour into a sieve over a measuring jug and put a weight on top of the puree to squish out moisture. Leave for 40 mins to really drain it. Discard the drained juice and set the thick puree to one side
- Grease a 30cm/12" shallow round cake tin and set to one side. Pre-heat oven to 356˚f/180˚c regular oven or 320˚f /160˚c fan assisted oven
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the baking margarine and two sugars using an electric whisk until light in colour and well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, combining well between each addition
- Next, add the bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and vanilla extract. Mix well
- Add the prepared pumpkin puree and combine thoroughly again
- Finally, add the self-raising flour and combine well. Pour mix evenly into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 1hr 25minutes or until a skewer can be inserted in the centre and comes out clean
- Remove from the oven. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before pushing it out. Allow to then cool completely
- Make the buttercream by adding all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and combine using an electric hand whisk
- When the cake is completely cool, using a small baking spatula or a normal knife, spread the top of the cake with the icing
- Decorate with your chosen decoration
