This recipes for Spiced Pumpkin Loaf Cake is adapted from one on Nordicware. For my cake I use a 2lb/900g loaf pan. That size pan works perfectly to creat a wonderful cake. But you can also use a 6 cup bundt pan instead.
As part of the adaptation I use metric weights and volumes. That works so well for me. Another change is in the baking time. My sister, in Canada, made the original recipe using the special pan from Nordicware. She tells me that the baking time wasn’t enough to fully cook the cake. So for my version I adjust the time as mentioned in the recipe.
This type of cake is so good as we move into autumn/fall. It gives that spicy warm feeling while enjoying a slice, or two.
I use a combination of spices, as I list below. However I am sure a good amount of shop bought pumpkin spice would work well too.
Ingredients
The only special ingredient is pumpkin puree. For this I use puree from a can. But, of course, you can make your own.
Flour – Plain or all purpose flour is best.
Sugar – Two types of sugar go in this recipe. Light Brown Sugar adds colour and a little caramel flavour. Then caster, or granulated sugar completes the sweetness.
Eggs – Medium eggs in UK/Europe, Large eggs in North America.
Butter – unsalted butter, melted. You can use salted, but maybe then omit the salt from the recipe.
Pumpkin Puree – 100% pumpkin from a can, nothing else added.
Baking Soda – this is a raising agent to help the loaf cake rise.
Spices – Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves and Nutmeg, in varying amounts givve a wonderful flavour to the loaf cake.
Salt – to draw out all the flavours.
Milk – to loosen the batter and help mix in the dry ingredients.
Process for Spiced Pumpkin Loaf Cake
This is the simplest type of cake. Simply mix all the dry ingredients together and set them aside. Then mix all the wet ingredients, except for the milk, until smooth.
Add the flour and milk and mix into a smooth batter.
Pour that into a prepared loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven(180C/160C Fan350F).
The baking time is variable. Start testing at 50 minutes, with a skewer. When the skewer comes out clean the loaf cake is ready. My loaf cake took 70 minutes. I think 65 minutes might have been fine too.
Allow the cake to sit in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack and leave it to cool completely.
My Pumpkin Loaf Cake
I put my cake in the oven and left it for 50 minutes. Then I did a skewer test. The centre of the cake was still very wet. So I left it for a further 15 minutes before testing again. The second test was good, with just a couple of little crumbs on the skewer. I left it in the oven for a further 5 minutes before a final test. Then I let the cake cool for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack.
Once it was completely cool I cut a slice and had a very enjoyable taste. The cake was rich and moist. All the spices gave so much warming flavour. This is a definite winner.
Another great recipe for this time of year is Plum Crumble Pie.
Spiced Pumpkin Loaf Cake
10
servings10
minutes1
hour10
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
200g(1 1/3 cups, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) plain flour
150g(3/4 cup) light brown sugar
150g(3/4 cup) caster sugar
2 medium eggs(large in USA) – mine weighed 97g out of shell
113g(1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
60ml(1/4 cup) milk
235g(1 cup) pumpkin puree
4g(1 tsp) baking soda
4g(2 tsp) ground cinnamon
2g(1 tsp) ground ginger
1g(1/2 tsp) ground cloves
1g(1/2 tsp) freshly grated nutmeg
3g(1/2 tsp) salt
5ml(1 tsp) vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F.
- Grease and flour a 2lb/900g loaf pan.
- Mix the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt and baking soda into the flour and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk the two sugars, eggs, vanilla and melted butter together until smooth and fully combined.
- Had half the flour and stir to combine.
- Pour in the milk and mix in.
- Add the remaining flour and mix until fully combined into a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and level it on the top.
- Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles.
- Bake the loaf cake for between 50 and 70 minutes, until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Start testing at a bout 50 minutes.
- Leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.