Spiced Pumpkin Fruit cake is another recipe to use some of the pumpkin harvest this year. Mixed dried fruit soaked in sherry, spices and orange zest add flavour to this cake.  It is moist and spicy with a lovely colour thanks to the golden pumpkin flesh. We have used no eggs, just a little milk and scant sugar to make this really healthy and easy fruit cake.

Spiced Pumpkin Fruit Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of cooked pumpkin, mashed
• 1 2/3 cups of Self Raising flour
• 2 1/2 cups of mixed fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants, good quality mixed citrus peel, according to your preference)
• 1/2 cup sweet sherry, rum or brandy
• 1 Tblsp caster sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1/2 tsp bicab soda
• zest of one orange
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180º C F
2. Grease and line a deep, round or square baking pan with baking paper, cutting the sides a little longer than the baking pan sides. I have used a springform pan and lined it
3. Place the fruit and sherry into a bowl and mix well. Cover the bowl and leave overnight or longer if you can. The fruit will rehydrate and become nice and plump
4. Next day,place the mashed pumpkin in a bowl and whisk in the milk and sugar
5. Whisk through the mixed spice and vanilla extract
6. Add the soaked, dried fruit, mixing through well
7. Stir in the orange zest
8. Stir in the flour and baking soda, a little at a time until it is thoroughly combined
9. Pour the batter into the baking pan, smoothing it out with a spatula and bake for 45 minutes or until golden and cooked when tested with a skewer.