Sweet Pumpkin Cake

Posted by Olivia on Thu, December 23, 2010

Pumpkin pie may be a Thanksgiving staple, but for the rest of the holiday season, you can enjoy seasonal pumpkins in an unexpected dessert: cake.

Our Sweet Pumpkin Cake recipe is infused with lots of heart-healthy Blood Orange Olive Oil. If you don’t have any on hand, substitute any other of our citrus oils, or opt for a light, fruity extra virgin olive oil. The recipe makes two 9-inch cakes, so layer them up with whipped cream or thick frosting in the middle, or enjoy them as stand-along cakes, perfect for a morning nibble.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

• ¼ teaspoon cloves

• 4 eggs

• 1 ½ cups sugar

• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

• 1 cup The Olive Press Blood Orange Olive Oil

• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil two 9-inch round cake pans; line each with wax paper and oil the paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. In a separate large bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, puree, and oil. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Gently fold in pecans, if using.
3. Transfer batter into prepared pans, spreading evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes; invert onto wire racks and cool completely.

Makes 2 9-inch cakes.