After making my pumpkin puree, what better recipe to use it in than spiced pumpkin loaf?

It’s similar to the Starbucks version but so much cheaper, and it’s great in packed lunches.

I hope you enjoy making this too – let me know how you get on!

Ingredients

• 300g self-raising flour
• 200g caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp. mixed spice
• 2 eggs
• 200g pumpkin puree
• 100ml vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. orange zest (optional)
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• Shredless marmalade
• Pumpkin seeds

How to make it…

First, make the pumpkin puree (see my recipe here). If you can’t get hold of any pumpkin then butternut squash should work just as well.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease a loaf tin and line with parchment paper

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, salt and spices and mix together.

In a separate bowl, beat two eggs, add the oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla essence (and the orange zest, if using) and mix together. Then gradually add the mixture to the dry ingredients, making sure to stir to get rid of any lumps.

Get your dry and liquid ingredients ready

Mix together

Pour into the loaf tin and use a spatula to even out the mixture. Put in the oven and bake for around 45 minutes. Take it out and check that it’s cooked all the way through using a skewer. If it comes out clean then it’s ready. Cool for around 5 minutes in the tin, remove from the tin and parchment paper and leave to cool on a wire rack.

While the loaf is cooling, roughly chop some pumpkin seeds. Put 1 tbsp. of shredless marmalade into a heatproof bowl and microwave for 15 seconds. Use a pastry brush to brush the marmalade on top of the loaf and press the seeds onto the top of the loaf. If the marmalade solidifies, simply pop it in the microwave again. Use the pastry brush to brush it over the seeds as well.

Ready to eat!

Note: So far, I’ve only tried adding the seeds after the loaf has been taken out of the oven. Next time, I’m going to try sprinkling the seeds onto the loaf after pouring the mixture into the loaf tin but before baking. I’ll let you know how it turns out!