Pumpkin Tea Cake
This dewy and delicious cake was adapted from The Butter Lab’s version of Pumpkin Cake, originally published in the San Francisco bakery’s seminal 2006 cookbook.
If I could shove a piece of this cake from the computer screen in your mouth, I would. I have to thank Kristen for this; she begged me to make it and I’m so glad I did.
The secret is probably in the spice and the oil; using fresh grated nutmeg and plenty of cinnamon. We had a conversation about using the word moist in a sentence, but I can’t help it. It’s incredibly moist and perfectly sweetened, and you’ll be dancing happily in your seat as you enjoy it with a warm drink.
I made a few adjustments to the recipe I used. Instead of all-purpose, I used cake and pastry flour, and I also used 3/4 cups of sunflower oil. I made this adjustment because our climate in the Caribbean is quite humid this time of year (September). We’re generally more humid all year round, so adjusting a wet-to-dry ratio is common. If you’re in the north, use 1 cup of oil or adjust if it’s a little dry.
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups (228 grams) cake and pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (255 grams) pumpkin puree
3/4 cup vegetable oil, such as safflower or sunflower
1 1/3 cup (265 grams) granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons raw cane sugar (optional, for topping)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325°F. If you have a 9” loaf pan, lightly butter it. You can line it with parchment if you wish. I used a 9” silicone pan, without butter or paper.
Sift together all the dry ingredients and set aside.
Use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment to beat together the pumpkin puree, oil, sugar, and salt.
Add the eggs one at a time, and run the mixer slightly. Add the flour mixture all at once and beat on low speed, until just combined. Re-scrape the sides of the bowl and beat for 5 to 10 seconds enough to look smooth. Do not overmix!
Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and smooth out the top. Sprinkle evenly with 3 tablespoons sugar and the seeds.
Bake for 1 hour, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and/or your thermometer reads 200-210ºF. Let cool in the loaf pan for 20 minutes then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. The cake will keep in a container for 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
