Pumpkin cake

Use thick pumpkin purée, not watery pumpkin mash; if yours looks loose, drain it in a sieve for 15–20 minutes. Mix just until the flour disappears, then take the cake out when a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.

Yes. Roast peeled pumpkin until completely soft, then blend it and drain the purée until thick; boiling can leave it too watery. Use plain purée, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices.

Keep an uniced cake in an airtight container in a cool place for up to two days, or refrigerate it if your kitchen is warm. Freeze slices, well wrapped, for up to three months; thaw them at room temperature before serving.

Serve it with a spoonful of lightly whipped cream or thick yoghurt, or with tea or coffee. Cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg suit its pumpkin flavour; toasted pecans or walnuts add a crisp contrast.

Insert a skewer into the centre: it should come out clean or with a few crumbs, not streaked with raw batter. If the top is browning before the middle is done, cover it loosely with foil and continue baking.

Pumpkin cake has 233 kcal per 100 g, compared with 204 kcal in pumpkin pie. The cake has more carbohydrate, while the pie has more fat.

Yes: pumpkin cake has 233 kcal per 100 g, while pumpkin soup has 46 kcal. They are different kinds of food, so soup is not a like-for-like cake substitute.