450 g Peeled; seeded and cubed
; pumpkin 150g/5oz
Unsalted butter
1 pn Salt
150 g Granulated sugar
50 g Crushed almonds
50 g Candied citron; finely
-chopped
Grated rind of 1 lemon
50 g Sultanas; soaked in grappa
; until swollen
75 g Plain flour
1 Heaped tsp baking powder
2 Eggs; separated
Rapeseed oil; for greasing
Icing sugar; for dusting
Creme fraiche or mascarpone
-or vanilla; to serve
; ice cream
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Place the pumpkin in a pan with the
butter and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft. Mash it thoroughly with a
pinch of salt. Stir in the sugar, almonds, candied citron and the lemon
rind. Drain the sultanas and add, then beat all of this together very
thoroughly. Leave to cool a little, then stir in the flour and baking
powder and stir until well combined.
Beat the egg yolks until light and foamy and then fold into the flour
mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold in lightly. Pour the
batter (you should have about 1.5 litres/2 and a half pints in total) into
a 23cm/9in greased and lined, spring bottom cake tin and bake for about 1
hour or until a wooden skewer slid into the centre of the cake comes out
clean.
Carefully, turn the cake out on to a cooling rack and dust with icing
sugar. Cut into slices and serve with a quenelle of crme fraiche or
mascarpone or ice cream. Please note that this is a very moist cake.
Yields
4 servings