Pumpkin Cake
When we hear the word ‘pumpkin’ the first thing that comes to mind is scary faces carved in into this large orange coloured fruit and placed on doorsteps or windows for Halloween!
However, there is more to this fruit than just this. The Pumpkin is in fact a very loved food item, eaten by our beloved Nabi ﷺ.
Sayyiduna Anas radhiyallahu anhu says that, “Rasoolullah ﷺ used to like pumpkin. If a dish of bread, meat and broth was put before him, and it contained pumpkin, he would pick up the pumpkin.” Sayyiduna Anas radhiyallahu anhu further says that, “I like to eat pumpkin (too) because the Prophet ﷺ loved it.”(Ibn Majah and Darimi)
Along with being among our beloved Nabi ﷺ’s favoured foods, the pumpkin is also a very nutritious fruit which contains many health benefits such as helping to maintain good eyesight, healthy skin and heart and improving a persons metabolism.
In todays activity we will be using the pumpkin as an ingredient to bake a delicious cake!
About Pumpkin
You will need:
Ingredients:
300g self-raising flour
300g dark brown sugar
3 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
175g sultanas
½ tsp salt
4 eggs, beaten
200g butter, melted
zest 1 orange
1 tbsp orange juice
500g (peeled weight) pumpkin grated
Preheat oven to 180C/ fan or 160C gas 4. Butter and line a 30 x 20cm baking tray or tin with parchment/grease proof paper.
1.Put all the dry ingredients; Flour, sugar, spices, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Combined it should look like this:
2. Beat the eggs into the melted butter and then stir in the orange zest and juice.
3. Now add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the grated pumpkin to the batter and mix until completely combined. Pour the mixture into your lined tray.
4. Bake for approximately 25 – 30 minutes. Poke a skewer into the centre of the cake. It should come out clean
5. When the cake is done, cool for 5 mins then turn it onto a cooling rack. Prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle with the rest of the orange juice while still warm. Leave to cool completely.
Whilst the cake is cooling make your frosting
Ingredients to make the frosting:
200g pack soft cheese
85g butter, softened
100g icing sugar
1/2 orange zest
1/2 tsp orange juice
6. To make the frosting, beat together the butter and sugar. Ensure the butter is softened. Then add in the soft cheese, orange juice and orange zest. Beat together until smooth and creamy, then set aside in the fridge.
7. Once the cake is completely cool, take your frosting out of the fridge and give it a quick beat to loosen, using a palette knife spread over the top of the cake in any way you desire.
Alhamdulillāh your cake is now ready to cut, serve and enjoy!