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Spiced pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing

Bake this wonderful cake when the weather turns chilly and pumpkins are at their best. Warmed with gentle spices, which are contrasted against a pure cream cheese topping, this is a comforting, autumnal delight.

Serves 8

275g (10oz) pumpkin (peeled and deseeded weight), grated

175g (6oz) plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

125g (4½oz) butter, melted

200g (7oz) soft light brown sugar

2 eggs

salt

For the cream cheese icing

250g (9oz) cream cheese

250g (9oz) icing sugar

900g (2lb) loaf tin

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas mark 4. Grease and line the base and sides of the loaf tin with baking parchment. Put a double layer of kitchen paper on a large plate. Check that you have the correct amount of grated pumpkin. Spread the pumpkin over the paper on the plate and leave to stand, to remove any excess moisture, while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Pour the butter into another bowl and add the sugar and eggs, then whisk to combine well. Add the grated pumpkin, then pour all of this wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

3. Pour into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 80–90 minutes until deep golden brown and cooked in the centre and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

4. Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the tin and leave on the wire rack to cool completely. Remove the paper.

5. Meanwhile, to make the icing, put the cream cheese in a bowl and sift in half the icing sugar. Mix to combine, then add the remaining icing sugar and mix again. Spread over the top of the cake. Cut into slices to serve.