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Rustic Italian Pumpkin Cake Recipe
The Rustic Italian Pumpkin Cake is a soft, flavorful dessert that brings a taste of Italian tradition to your kitchen. This cake hails from the peasant roots of northern Italy, where classic amaretti cookies are popular in regions like Piedmont and Liguria, and pumpkin is grown widely, especially in areas like Mantua.Perfect for fall, this pumpkin cake is ideal for the season when pumpkins are plentiful and ripe. To ensure the cake turns out well, it’s best to use a pumpkin with sweet, dense flesh that isn’t too watery.
Ingredients
- 300 g pumpkin flesh, raw - ~10 oz
- 50 g almonds, raw - ⅓ cup
- 60 g amaretti cookies - 2 oz
- 3 eggs
- 250 g flour - ~2 cups
- 16 g baking powder - 1 tablespoon
- 80 g sunflower oil - ⅓ cup
- 160 g granulated sugar - ~¾ cup
For Decoration
- 6 almonds
- 6 amaretti cookies
- powdered sugar - for sprinkling
Instructions
- To start making the Rustic Italian Pumpkin Cake, place the amaretti cookies in a blender. Blend them on high speed until they turn into a fine powder. Once blended, transfer the powdered amaretti into a dish and set them aside for later use.
- Prepare the pumpkin by removing its skin and seeds. Cut the pumpkin flesh into small pieces. Now, add the diced raw pumpkin and the raw almonds to the blender. Blend everything at full speed until the pumpkin and almonds are fully pureed and smooth. Make sure there are no large chunks left.
- In a large mixing bowl, crack the eggs and add the sugar. Using a hand whisk, lightly whip the eggs and sugar together until they are well combined and slightly frothy. This will help create a light, fluffy texture in the cake.
- Add the flour and baking powder to the egg and sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly with the whisk or a spatula until you have a smooth batter and there are no lumps.
- Add the powdered amaretti, the pumpkin and almond puree, and the sunflower oil to the mixture. Using a spatula, fold everything together until all ingredients are evenly distributed, and the batter becomes smooth. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to incorporate everything well.
- Line your cake pan with a sheet of greaseproof paper to prevent sticking. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use the spatula to smooth the surface so that it’s level and even.
- Place the cake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) and bake for about 45 minutes. To check if the cake is fully baked, insert a toothpick into the center; if it comes out clean, the cake is done. Pay particular attention to the center, as this part can take a bit longer to cook.
- When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool directly in the pan. This helps the cake set and makes it easier to remove later.
- Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar and decorate it with whole almonds and amaretti cookies for a rustic look. Enjoy your delicious homemade pumpkin cake!
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 407kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 8gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 273mgPotassium: 242mgFiber: 2gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 3288IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 159mgIron: 3mg
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