Spiced pumpkin cake with pecan praline

Name: Spiced pumpkin cake with pecan praline
Ingredients: 425 g pumpkin puree; 200 g soft dark brown sugar; 300 g caster sugar; 240 ml sunflower oil; 150 ml water; 4 free-range eggs, lightly beaten; grated zest of 1 orange; 375 g self-raising flour; ½ tsp salt; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 2 tsp mixed spice; ½ tsp ground nutmeg; 50 g pecans; 150 g caster sugar; 250 g butter, softened; 500 g icing sugar, sifted; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 2 tsp ground cinnamon

A deliciously moist pumpkin cake spiced with autumnal flavourings is perfectly balanaced by the gorgeous nutty pecan praline! Enjoy!

Brought to you by Der Kern by Miele

Enjoy this spiced pumpkin cake with pecan praline by Miele Der Kern.

A deliciously moist pumpkin cake spiced with autumnal flavourings is perfectly balanced by the gorgeous nutty pecan praline! Enjoy!

Tip: You can buy pumpkin purée tinned!
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Servings

Ingredients

For the cake

425 g pumpkin puree
200 g soft dark brown sugar
300 g caster sugar
240 ml sunflower oil
150 ml water
4 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
grated zest of 1 orange
375 g self-raising flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ground nutmeg

For the praline

50 g pecans
150 g caster sugar

For the frosting

250 g butter, softened
500 g icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Grease and base line three 18cm(7in) cake tins.

For the cake, in a large mixing bowl, mix the pumpkin purée, sugars, sunflower oil, water, eggs and orange zest until well combined. In another bowl, sift together the flour, salt and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold in until just combined.

Divide the mixture evenly between the cake tins. Place the tins on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Turn out of the cake tins and leave on wire racks to cool completely.

To make the praline, place the pecans on a baking tray and toast in the oven at 190C/Gas Mark 5, or Fan Plus 170°C for a Miele oven, for 5-6 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, place the caster sugar in an even layer across the base of a clean frying pan. Set over a medium-high heat and allow the sugar to melt and caramelise to become a rich golden colour.

Reserve 5-7 nicely shaped pecans, then place the rest on non-stick paperon a baking tray. Once the sugar has caramelised, very carefully pour the caramel over the pecans, reserving a little of the caramel in the pan. Allow this to cool slightly, insert a cocktail stick into each of the five reserved pecans. Using the cocktail stick as a ‘handle’ dip the pecans one by one into the cooling caramel. Sellotape the cocktail sticks to the edge of a work surface, allowing the caramel to run off the pecans to make sugar spikes. Leave to cool completely.

Return to the cooled, set pecan praline and break it up into pieces. Place in a food processor and blitz to a rough powder. Set aside.

To make the frosting, place the butter in a large mixing bowl, then add the icing sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon. Mix together with an electric hand whisk to make a very light and fluffy frosting – this will take 7-8 minutes of continual whisking depending on the softness of the butter.

To assemble, place one of the cakes on a plate or cake stand and spread just over a quarter of the frosting over the surface. Place the second cake on top and spread with another quarter of frosting. Finish with the final cake and cover the top with a more generous amount of frosting, leaving some frosting to cover the sides. Roughly spread the remaining frosting around the sides of the cake. Run a palette knife under hot water, then use the warmed knife to thinly and evenly spread the frosting round the sides of the cake to create a ‘naked’ finish.

Sprinkle a rim of powdered praline around the top of the cake. Carefully remove the pecan ‘spikes’ from their cocktail sticks and arrange upright on the centre of the cake. Slice to serve. The cake will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days.