I love pumpkin. It is so versatile. You can make any kind of recipe with it: from main courses to side dishes, jams, chutneys and sweets.
This sponge cake blends together a velvet home-made pumpkin cream, flavoured with vanilla and cardamom, and soft Turkish sultanas. The ground almonds added to the flour gives that final touch which balances the overall texture and taste of the cake.
Today it is raining a lot here in Malta. One could not ask for better weather to indulge in a nice slice of this cake, sipping a steaming cup of hot chocolate or cappuccino!

- Preparation: 30 Minutes
- Cooking: 50 Minutes
- Difficulty: Medium
- Servings: 6 people
- Cost: Medium
Ingredients
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500 g pumpkin pulp
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200 g white flour (type 0)
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180 g Light muscovado sugar
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150 g Turkish sultanas
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75 ml sunflower oil (cold pressed)
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50 g ground almonds
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50 g corn starch
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15 g baking powder
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4 eggs
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3 spoons rum
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1 vanilla pod
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1 pinch table salt
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half teaspoons ground cardamom
Preparation
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- – put the sultanas in a bowl and soak them in lukewarm water;
- – while the sultanas rest in the water, prepare the pumpkin cream as follows;
- – cut the pumpkin in small cubes and put it in a saucepan;
- – add 100gr sugar, the rum, the seeds from the vanilla pod and the cardamom;
- – put the pan on a stove and cook on medium heat;
- – cook until the pumpkin becomes soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed;
- – remove the pan from the stove and blend the cooked pumpkin with a blender till you get a smooth cream;
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- – separate the egg whites form the yolks in two bowls;
- – add the sugar to the yolks and whip until you get a frothy cream;
- – add the oil and mix well;
- – add the pumpkin cream and mix well till you get a smooth cream;
- – drain the sultanas and add them to the above mixture;
- – now take the bowl with the egg whites, add the salt and whip until stiff;
- – take another big bowl and put in the flour (with a sifter), the corn starch, the baking powder and the ground almonds. Mix everything together;
- – pour the cream you made with the pumpkin and the yolks. Fold gently till you get a smooth dough;
- – now pour the whites and fold gently to incorporate them in the dough. You should obtain a soft mixture;
- – grease a baking tray and dust it with flour;
- – pour the cake mixture onto the baking tray;
- – bake at 170 degrees for about 50 minutes;
- – allow the cake to cool down before serving it, dusted with some icing sugar.
Notes
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