I can't believe this is my first recipe post since the summer! Well I am back with a tasty treat for you as I have been inspired by this new season of the Great British Bake Off! I was so excited when I discovered that PETA UK were organising a vegan bake off!! Having looked at some of the finalists over the last three years, I did wonder what on earth I could submit as an entry. I mean, the classic victoria sponge and chocolate cake have already been done, so I had to really think outside of the box and into my pantry.
So as I looked through my cupboards, I saw a can of pumpkin and a pack of poppy seeds and thought I would do a twist on the classic lemon and poppy seed cake and give it an autumnal kick of pumpkin, warming spices and the contrasting texture and taste of passion fruit.
Pumpkin Poppy Seed & Passion Fruit Cake (Vegan & Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
300g Gluten free self raising flour
200g Light brown muscavado sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp xantham gum
zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
1/2tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1tablespoon of poppy seeds
Wet Ingredients
300ml Unsweetened soya milk
120ml rapeseed oil
3 tsp apple cider vinegar
Juice from half a lemon
200g Pumpkin Puree
For the buttercream
75g non dairy margarine
400g icing sugar
1Tablespoon of fresh orange juice
Pulp and seeds from one passion fruit (yes seeds too!!)
Method
-Preheat your oven to Gas Mark 5 and grease a 23cm round cake tin.
- Pour all the wet ingredients in a jug or a bowl and mix thoroughly and set aside for at least 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, sift all your dry ingredients. (This step can take a little bit of time as I often find that the brown sugar clumps together, so take your time with this. I promise you, your cake will thank you for it!!)
- Slowly mix the pumpkin puree with the rest of the wet ingredients and then combine all wet ingredients with the dry.
-Add your cake batter to your cake tin and bake for 30-35mins.
-Whilst your cake is baking, add the margarine, icing sugar and orange juice to your food mixer and whizz for up to 20mins. (It might sound long, but it gives it a light and fluffy texture)
- Warm the passion fruit pulp in the microwave for 20secs and then add to the buttercream mix.
-Once your cake is cooked, take it out of the oven and cool for a couple of hours.
-Split your cake in half and fill with a thin layer of buttercream and then a layer on top of the cake, with a sprinkling of lemon and orange zest.
I absolutely love this cake!! It kind of reminds me a little bit of a cross between a carrot and jamaican ginger cake! Lovely with a nice cuppa tea! Whether it makes the shortlist or not, I love the fact that it's an opportunity to showcase cruelty free baking that can be enjoyed by all.
XOXO
P.S you can find out more about PETA on www.peta.org.uk
Also, don't forget to checkout the September fitness challenges. We just might need them with all this cake eating! Lol!!
