Pumpkin Spice Traybake

Treat yourself this Halloween! There’s nothing tricky in the making of this traybake – a delicious, sweet and spicy sponge, laced with freshly roasted pumpkin puree and topped with crunchy, honey-coated pumpkin seeds.

These guys were just dying to try it. They’ll tell you – it’s a monster hit 🙂

Servings

Makes 16 slices.

Timings

40 mins to peel, chunk and roast the pumpkin. 15 mins to prepare the traybake and then 30 mins to bake at 180C in a fan oven.

You Will Need

• 1 medium-sized pumpkin or other squash
• oil to drizzle for roasting
• 3 large eggs
• 200g vegetable oil
• 140g light muscovado sugar
• 250g self-raising flour
• 1tsp bicarb of soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1tsp ground ginger
• 1tsp grated nutmeg
• runny honey to drizzle
• a handful of pumpkin seeds

Method

1. Turn a fan oven on to 180C. Cut and peel the pumpkin into chunks – you will need around 200g. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with oil. Put in the oven for 30 mins until softened and a little caramelised at the edges.
2. Grease and line a traybake tin – mine used is 22cm square.
3. Crack the eggs into a bowl, and add in the oil and sugar. Mix with an electric whisk until thickened.
4. Sieve in the flour, bicarb and spices, and fold in with a spatula to incorporate.
5. Once the pumpkin chunks are roasted, tip them into a food processor with blade fitted, and blitz to a puree. This will also help the pumpkin to cool. Add the puree to the bowl and stir to mix in.
6. Tip the mixture into the lined traybake tin and level with a spoon. Place in the oven for 30 mins or until nicely browned, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
7. For the last 5 mins of baking, sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over and drizzle with honey.
8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tray. Transfer to a board and cut into slices.

Customise It!

Don’t just save the pumpkin seeds for the topping – chuck another handful into the mixture along with some chopped nuts.

Have fun this Halloween, eat well and don’t let the boogeyman get you! Here’s Echo & the Bunnymen with People Are Strange.