- Serves 10 - Ready in 3 hours and 15 minutes (using tinned pumpkin puree will reduce the time by 45 min)-
* Uses up 800g of fresh (skin and seeds removed) pumpkin / butternut squash or 1 can (425g) of pumpkin puree *
N.B. for a gluten-free version, simply replace the SR flour with gluten-free SR flour AND add an extra egg to the recipe.
Make sure you don't include any seeds when making the puree. The seeds can be soaked and roasted to make a delicious snack - here is the recipe link for 'Soaked and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds'.
Gather together...
800g raw (skin and seeds removed) pieces of pumpkin / butternut squash (see below how to turn it into puree) OR 1x 15-ounce (425g) can (i.e. a normal sized can) of pumpkin purée – 'Baking Buddy' and 'Libby's' are two brands often sold in UK supermarkets.
3 cups of rolled 'chunky' oats (NOT instant oats!).
1/2 cup of brown sugar.
2 tsp baking powder (sieved).
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (sieved).
1/2 tsp fine salt.
1 tsp ground cinnamon.
1 tsp ground ginger.
1 tsp ground mixed spice.
1/2 cup (100g) vegetable oil / rapeseed oil / sunflower oil (NOT olive oil as it's too flavoured).
1/4 cup (80g) honey or maple syrup.
2 medium eggs.
1 tsp vanilla extract (the Taylor & Colledge brand is fairtrade certified / the Dr Oetker brand is alcohol free).
Get cooking...
1. If needed, make the pumpkin puree from the skinless and seedless 800g of raw pumpkin / butternut squash - use a potato peeler to turn the pumpkin flesh into long, thin strips OR cut it into very thin slices with a knife (I usually end up with a mixture of peelings and slicings). Then place it into a large microwavable bowl (e.g. a pyrex dish), add 5 tbsp of water, cover the bowl with a vented lid (to allow some of the steam to escape, so you don't get burnt by a rush of steam when opening the lid) and microwave on HIGH for 10 minutes. Then very carefully (as it is HOT) drain the liquid away and blitz the cooked pumpkin with a handheld stick blender until smooth - this will take about 1 minute. Let the puree cool for 15 minutes before using (so you don't scramble the eggs!). Do weigh out the correct amount needed before using as you'll probably have a bit of puree leftover - stir into a smoothie or milkshake, or make a spiced latte, so it isn't wasted.
The photos below show how to make the puree, but you'll need much more than is pictured!
2. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin (9"x5") with a greaseproof paper liner (you can get a reusable loaf tin liner, but it is a bit fiddly to use and your loaf will come out rather oddly shaped as the excess material folds in on itself - we happily use one but I thought I'd warn you!) Set the greased and lined tin aside.
3. Blitz the 3 cups of rolled (chunky) oats in a food processor for 1 minute, to turn the oats into a fine flour. Don't rush this stage, make sure the oats are REALLY well blitzed, or else you will end up with a grainy batter (which you can fix by blending with a handheld stick blender just before spooning the batter into the loaf tin).
4. To the blitzed oats in the food processor jug, add the 1/2 cup of brown sugar, sieve in the 2 tsp of baking powder, sieve in the 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda, add the 1/2 tsp of salt and all of the ground-up spices (1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger and the 1 tsp mixed spice). Blitz the 'dry' ingredients in the food processor for a few seconds to ensure the dry ingredients are well mixed.
5. Preheat oven to 180 C (160 C fan) or Gas 4.
6. In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine the 'wet' ingredients together - 425g of (cool) pumpkin puree, the 1/2 cup (100g) of vegetable oil, the 1/4 cup (80g) of honey (or maple syrup), the 2 medium eggs and the 1 tsp vanilla extract. Stir well to combine.
7. Tip the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir well, with a spoon, in the medium-large mixing bowl. The mixture will be quite thick.
8. Spoon the thick mixture into the prepared loaf tin and gently level the surface.
9. Bake the loaf cake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, but COVER THE TOP with foil after the first 20 minutes of baking or it will burn.
10. Cool the baked loaf cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully tip out onto a wire rack and allow to cool for AT LEAST an hour - be patient, it will crumble when sliced if it isn't cooled.
11. Enjoy this tea-loaf cake thickly cut and spread with butter (thick slices are a must when using more crumble-prone oat flour).
12. This cake will keep well for up to three days - if the cut end is covered in a beeswax wrap, and it is kept in an airtight container in a cool place.
Adapted slightly from this Healthy Pumpkin Bread recipe from the ever-inspiring 'A Couple Cooks' website. I wanted to use up a whole can of pumpkin puree all in one go, so I increased the pumpkin content and decreased the egg content and the honey / maple syrup content. The original recipe is made entirely in a blender / food processor, but my blender just isn't big enough to fit everything in, so I adapted the method accordingly. I also tried making my own pumpkin / butternut squash puree and found it to be very easy when using a microwave, so that dramatically cuts down on the food miles, as canned pumpkin is usually imported from the USA.