Spicy Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake

This morning was spent chatting, cake eating, coffee drinking and laughing with old and new friends, all in a good cause to raise money (228€) for cancer support. I had a really lovely time, thanks I think to the friendly selection of people there, as despite sharing my life here on the blog I am actually rather shy in person. My contribution to the overloaded cake table was a Spicy Pumpkin and Chocolate cake. This is a variation on my chocolate veggie brownie, but with a couple of eggs to make it more cakey. Here is the recipe if you fancy a tasty autumn treat.

Spicy Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake

125ml vegetable oil and 1 tbsp walnut oil (walnut oil is optional)

150g brown sugar

250g plain flour

40g cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp baking powder

250g finely grated peeled pumpkin

2 eggs beaten

1 tsp of mixed spice

Preheat oven to 180c/Gas 4

Grease and flour a 22x33cm baking tin

In a large bowl, mix together oils and sugar until well blended. Combine flour, cocoa powder, spice and baking powder; stir into sugar mixture. Fold in pumpkin and egg. Spread evenly in prepared tin. Bake for 25 to 30 mins, until it springs back when gently touched. Allow to cool before topping with buttercream icing (100g softened butter, 150g icing sugar and 50g melted dark chocolate).