Hallowe'en Pumpkin Cake, from Pam Corbin, River Cottage Handbook: Cakes

Serves 12

Ingredients
    150g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and softened
    300g caster sugar
    3 eggs
    340g self-raising flour
    225g finely grated raw pumpkin flesh
    150g amaretti or dry macaroons, lightly crushed
    50ml whole or semi-skimmed milk

To finish (optional):
    Orange Glacé icing
    Halloween sweets

    23cm garland or ring mould, well greased, or a 20cm round tin lightly greased and base-lined with baking parchment

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter to a cream, using a wooden spoon or a hand-held electric whisk.

Add the sugar and continue to beat until well creamed. (It won't be as light and fluffy as a classic sponge mix.)

Add the eggs, one at a time, adding 1 tbsp of the flour with each, and beating well before adding the next. Sift in half the remaining flour, then use a large metal spoon to carefully fold it in.

Repeat with the other half. Fold in the grated pumpkin, crushed amaretti or macaroons, and the milk - to give a soft dropping consistency.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until the cake is lightly golden, springs back to shape when pressed with a finger and is beginning to pull away from the sides of the tin.

Leave in the tin for 5 minutes before carefully turning out and placing on a wire rack to cool.

For children, trickle the cake with orange glacé icing and scatter with sweets.

For adults, serve it plain with hot mulled cider punch. It will keep in a tin for 5 days.

Variation:  Add 50g mini marshmallows along with the amaretti for a gooey Hallowe'en cake.