This pumpkin cake recipe has a ton of pumpkin flavour and is gently spiced with warming autumn spices. It's super moist, not too sweet, and it's made with this delicious homemade pumpkin puree and topped with a silky smooth cream cheese pumpkin spread. What more could you want in your favourite autumn dessert.
Line a loaf pan or any other baking pan with greased parchment paper. I use both because it never sticks.
Turn the oven to 170°C or 338°F.
Sieve all the dry ingredients through a fine-mesh strainer or drum sieve.
Grate the pumpkin and mix it through the dry ingredients.
Mix the wet ingredients until homogenous.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until you have an evenly distributed smooth batter. Don't over-mix.
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.
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.
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 ⅔ 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.
Let it cool down slightly before carefully removing it from the baking form and cooling down completely on a wire rack.
Only slice or spread top with cream cheese when cooled down completely.
Notes
You can bake this cake in any shape like a springform pan, bunt cake mould or make a layer cake out of it.
Bake on a baking tray in a thinner layer to make a rolled pumpkin cake log.
Always sieve dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Mix wet ingredients evenly before adding the two together.
Never overmix cake batters.
Use weighing scales for the most accurate results.
The cake is done when a kitchen thermometer reads above 90 degrees Celcius or 194 degrees Fahrenheit when inserted into the centre. Alternatively, use the pre-historic method of checking that a toothpick or bone comes out clean.
Make sure to drizzle the warm syrup on a hot cake for best soaking.
If your oven is less than ideal and easily burns stuff simply place a tray on the bottom shelf and top shelf then cook your cake on the middle shelf. Place a small bowl of water on the bottom shelf. The trays and water will help to even out the heat in the oven and minimise the risk of burning it.
Can be store at room temperature when kept airtight for 3 days.
Can be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up the 3 months.