Pumpkin, Orange and Poppyseed Cake

This is one of my favourite cakes of all time. It's moist and delicious and the pumpkin gives it this incredible moistness and sweetness that is often absent from some cakes. I love making this cake all year round, but it's often at Halloween time that I make it most often.

As I live in Australia, it's difficult and expensive to buy canned pumpkin. It's not something that's readily available on our supermarket shelves, so I make my own. I use a butternut pumpkin, steam it for 5-6 minutes in the microwave and then puree in my blender. I know that this may not be available in your area, so use whichever is the sweetest pumpkin that you can get. If you can't buy the canned.

Makes: 12 Slices

Time: 50 minutes

Total Cost: $4.66

To make this recipe you will need:

Cake

1 package of Vanilla Cake Mix (0.75c)

2 Eggs ($0.50)

1 1/4 cups Pumpkin puree ($1.75)

2/3 cup Milk ($0.17)

Grated Rind of 1 Large Orange ($0.98)

1 tbsp. of poppy seeds ($0.18)

Glaze

1 cup Icing Sugar ($0.33)

1/4 cup Orange Juice, Freshly Squeezed (Squeeze the orange that you grated for the cake)  ($0.00) 

Preheat your oven to 160c as well as greasing and lining a 20cm cake tin with parchment.

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl, except for the poppy seeds. Using an electric mixer, mix on low to combine and then mix on medium for two minutes. 

The mix should now be lighter in colour and increased in volume.

Add the poppyseeds and mix these in until combined.

Pour cake batter into cake tin and bake for 45 - 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature.

Once the cake has reached room temperature, make the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar with enough orange juice to make the consistancy of thickened cream. 

Pour over the cake and spread evenly over the top. 

Slice and enjoy!

Want to see how I made this?? Watch the video below!