Spiced Triple Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients

• 250 g all purpose flour
• 200 g green pumpkin seeds (ground )
• 12 g baking powder
• 4 g baking soda
• 400 g pumpkin puree
• 300 g pumpkin (grated )
• 2 g cinnamon
• 1 g grated nutmeg
• 2 g ginger powder
• 100 g brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 180 g canola oil
• 200 g orange juice (freshly squeesed )
• 20 g brown sugar
• 3 whole star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 grated nutmeg
• 130 g water
• 150 g cream cheese like Philadelphia
• 200 g pumpkin puree (homemade or store-bought)
• 20 g maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   line pan: Line a loaf pan or any other baking pan with greased parchment paper. I use both because it never sticks.

2. 2

   turn oven on: Turn the oven to 170°C or 338°F.

3. 3

   sieve dry ingredients: Sieve all the dry ingredients through a fine-mesh strainer or drum sieve.

4. 4

   add pumpkin: Grate the pumpkin and mix it through the dry ingredients.

5. 5

   Mix the wet ingredients until homogenous.

6. 6

   mix wet and dry ingredients: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until you have an evenly distributed smooth batter. Don't over-mix.

7. 7

   add mix to pan: Pour the cake mix into the baking pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a kitchen thermometer reads 90°C or 194°F when placed into the centre of the bread. Alternatively use the stone age method of sticking a wooden or metal skewer into the middle. When it comes out clean, your cake is cooked.

8. 8

   cook cake and make syrup: While the cake is cooking you can make the syrup and maple cream cheese spread. The syrup is just warmed orange juice, water, spices and a small amount of sugar. The cream cheese is just mixed together until smooth.

9. 9

   test doneness and drizzle syrup: As soon as the cake comes out of the oven poke a load of tiny holes in it with a toothpick. Drizzle the syrup onto the cake until it has soaked up °about 2/3 of the syrup. The rest you can keep if you wish to add it later to the already sliced pieces or in a cocktail or tea.

10. 10

    let cool: Let it cool down slightly before carefully removing it from the baking form and cooling down completely on a wire rack.

11. 11

    frost and serve: Only slice or spread top with cream cheese when cooled down completely.