Pumpkin cake with creamy filling
Another delightful dessert perfect for autumn from mom's recipe book!
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Pan
- Electric mixer
- Spatula
- Chef knife
- Large spoon
- Large chopping board
- Rectangular baking tray
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 pieces large organic egg yolks keep the the whites for the pumpkin filling
- 10 tbsp almond milk unsweetened
- 10 tbsp rapeseed oil organic, cold pressed
- 5 tbsp organic coconut sugar
- 300-400 g organic plain flour use as needed for a firm dough that requires rolling
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea/rock salt
For the pumpkin filling
- 1 medium pumpkin or 1kg shredded, frozen pumpkin, defrosted and drained
- 5 tbsp organic coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp raisins and/or walnuts optional
- 3 organic egg whites beaten
- 1 tbsp semolina it absorbs humidity
Instructions
To make the dough
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F/gas mark 4. Line the baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the egg yolks with coconut sugar and a bit of salt until it becomes lighter in colour and creamy. It is OK to use an electric mixer for this step.
- Add the milk, then the oil and mix with a spatula.
- Sieve the flour mixed with baking powder over and mix until it incorporates nicely.
- Knead the dough until all the ingredients incorporate nicely and split it into two parts.
- Use a roller pin to roll each part to fit nicely on the baking tray.
- Gently pierce the top sheet with a fork to allow any trapped air to escape and obtain a smooth baked surface. Usually, I pierce both dough sheets.
To prepare the pumpkin filling
- Wash the pumpkin with warm water and dish wash. Rinse well and dry the pumpkin.
- Use a sharp chef knife and a vegetable cutting board to cut the pumpkin as you would for Halloween carvings. Peel the external hard layer off and use a large tablespoon to carve the seeds and the pulp out of the pumpkin.
- Cut the pumpkin you will use into pieces small enough to make it comfortable to grate. Use a box grater to shred the pumpkin on the larger holes side. The same applies to an electric grater.
- Place the grated pumpkin into a pan and over low heating, as if you would make a jam. Allow cooking at low heating the whole time, even if it might sound tedious. You are not aiming for a charred pumpkin and ruined pan! Patience makes perfect!
- When the whole quantity of pumpkin is thermally processed, and the volume reduces visibly, add the sugar, spices, and raisins/nuts. Mix and cook for further two-three minutes.
- Turn the heat off and allow the cooked pumpkin to cool completely before the next step. Failure to do so will spoil the entire filling for this cake!
Assembling and baking the cake
- While the pumpkin cools, batter the egg whites with a pinch of salt until you get stiff peaks. Add it to the completely cooled pumpkin and mix gently with a spatula until it incorporates nicely. The filling will become fluffy, creamy looking and lighter in colour.
- Place the first sheet into the tray, pierce with a fork to reduce air pockets and spread some semolina (it helps absorb excess humidity).
- Pour the pumpkin filling over the first dough sheet in the tray, then continue as explained above with the second sheet.
- Bake on the middle rake for 40-50 minutes. Allow cooling before slicing. Optionally dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
When you carve the pumpkin, remember that the seeds have a lot of health benefits, and you can easily find a use for them (in bread baking, for instance, or added to cereals).
If you use previously grated and frozen pumpkins, allow defrosting overnight and remove the excess water by pressing down.
When baked, cut the pumpkin cake with creamy filling in squares or a rhomboid shape and dust with powdered sugar (optional).
Store the pumpkin cake in an airtight container in the fridge (upper rack) for up to three days. I don't recommend freezing.