Oh my! I’m blaming Angie for this! I haven’t made too many things with pumpkin in, but all her talk of Halloween, pumpkin and apple led me to do some experimenting! 😛 What do we have? A moist, spiced loaf cake, studded with cinnamon apple chunks and bits of crunchy pecans! Wow! This is one cake you’re going to want on that Halloween table! Do you think I can get away with having this for dinner! 😛 Of course, I had to try it, but one slice led to another and now it’s calling me… ‘eat me’… ‘eat me’! This might just have become my new favourite cake! 😀
The LifeDietHealth kitchen has been a bit busy this week – it’s half term and that means extra children… extra children to munch through the cinnamon sugar pretzels (photo on instagram), after finishing off the welsh cakes, scones and cheese straws! We’ve had home made sourdough pizza again (also on instagram), we’ve been experimenting with more sourdough bread – the latest one is full of mixed seeds and oats, and we’ve even made a batch of mince pies (and a delicious apple and mince slice)! There’s usually cooking going on, but not so much baking, but as fast as it’s made, it’s all disappearing, so something must be working well! 😀
This week I’m co-hosting Fiesta Friday again! 😀 Fiesta Friday is an online gathering which runs from around 1pm (UK time) Friday until about 1am (UK time) on Wednesday morning (Tuesday night). People bring along delicious foods, crafts, tips and advice and the idea is to check out new blogs, make new friends and have a load of fun! 😀 I’m co-hosting this week with Antonia @ Zoale.com and we’d love you to come over and join us! 😀
Check out the cake recipe and don’t forget that we love chatting with you, so don’t be afraid to write in the comments below! ? Suggest a recipe you’d like to see, or topic you’d like covered, ask a question or just say hello! ? As always, remember that if you do have a go at making this or any of our recipes, please share your photos using the hashtag #LifeDietHealth or tag us @LifeDietHealth on instagram. If you’re not following us everywhere why not!? ?Have a look and see what we’re up to on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook! We’d love you to join us! Don’t forget to subscribe here as well so you get your free weekly recipe straight to your inbox!
Speak soon!
Laurena x
Spiced loaf cake with pumpkin, cinnamon apple chunks and crunchy pecan pieces.
- 150 g pumpkin puree we used tinned 100% pumpkin
- 150 g mashed banana (approx 2 small)
- 30 g almond butter (ours was crunchy)
- 30 ml maple syrup
- 50 g coconut oil (ours was solid)
- 80 g coconut sugar
- 225 g plain flour (gluten free if required)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 75 g apples (peeled and chopped into small chunks)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (for the apples)
- 25 g plain flour (for the apples)
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar (for the apples)
- 25 g pecans (plus extra for topping if required)
Mix the pumpkin with the banana, almond butter, maple syrup and oil until combined (small lumps are okay).
Add the sugar, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg and salt and combine until you have a semi-firm batter.
Put the apple chunks in a bowl, add the cinnamon, flour and sugar (for the apples). Toss to coat until everything is stuck to the apple pieces. Add 3/4 of these to the cake batter with the pecans and gently mix in.
Spoon the batter into a lined or greased loaf tin. Shake to smooth, then add the remaining apples on the top and gently press in. Add extra pecans if using. Bake at Gas Mark 4 (350f / 180c) for 50-60 minutes. Cake is cooked when it is pulling away from the sides of the tin and golden brown. You can try the skewer test but if you hit apple it won't come out clean! 😛
Allow to cool in the tin for five minutes before turning out and allowing to cool properly. (I'm not going to say don't cut this while warm as it will only encourage you to do so 😛 )!
Enjoy!
- Store covered.
- Stays fresh for up to five days.
- Slice and eat, or add a spoonful of cream/yogurt.
- Try warming the cake and eating with custard.
Oh my indeed, this looks like perfection (well done you and Angie?). Any sort of loaf cake is a winner in my book (have you ever done a Jamaican sort of spice loaf? Hint hint, hehe). Ahh, shouldn’t read posts like these on a chilly dark evening?
Would you believe it, the boys were hungry this evening and finished it off! Glad I still have pumpkin so I can make another one tomorrow! 😛 Ooo Jamaican spice loaf sounds good- I might have to investigate flavours! 😀 Has it turned chilly there now?
Yes, the Indian Summer we were having here has definitely gone. It didn’t feel much different to living along the Costa del Sol lol. Not complaining though?
I’ll never understand these people who aren’t that keen on dried fruit (especially in cakes!), there seem to be a lot of them around?
I guess I should try making one… we all like Christmas pudding and mince pies (and welsh cakes and hot cross buns) so I’m guessing a fruity cake should be okay… off to search for un-sulphured dried fruit…
Aww, that’s just reminded me I won’t be seeing any of those lovely Christmas foods you mentioned in supermarkets this year (no more Morrison’s, Gibraltar lol). I like Stollen and German spiced cookies though!
Ooo german spiced cookies 😀 I should make those! I wonder if I can adapt my welshcake recipe into stollen…
Sorry, me again- just forgot to mention this loaf cake has reminded me of a few vegan ones I make from ‘A bit of the Good Stuff’ blog: Sharon there has lovely recipes for tea loaf and lemon drizzle, of course?
Oh yes, I love ‘Bit of the Good Stuff’ and Sharon and I have messaged on instagram/email. I’ve not seen her tea loaf though – I might have a look (although the boys don’t especially like dried fruit in cake)! Thank you! 😀
[…] via Spiced Pumpkin & Apple Loaf Cake — Life Diet Health […]
I wasn’t going to take the blame for it; this cake is all you and yours alone! But it sounds so awesome with apples, bananas, pecans, pumpkins… all in ONE cake! How in the world did you come up with such an incredible idea? That’s THE perfect cake for fall! If you still want to share the blame, then guilty as charged; I wouldn’t mind at all being associated with an amazing creation! Can’t wait for the fiesta to start! Thanks for cohosting! ??
Thanks Angie! 😛 You know we don’t really do pumpkin over here, but all your Halloween (& fall) talk is always so infectious and a while back when we talked about apple and pumpkin… well, that got me experimenting! 😀 This is one amazing cake Angie and I wouldn’t have dreamt it up without your help! I’d pop some round if there wasn’t an ocean between us lol! You SO must make this! 😀 I’m looking forward to co-hosting the Fiesta again… not long left to wait now! 😀 xxx
I’ve pinned it so I won’t forget to give it a try ?
Excellent! 😀
What a wonderful cake, Laurena! I can just imagine how delicious and satisfying it is. It is awesome to co-host again with you, and thank you for sharing your yummy cake with us! Happy Fiesta Friday!
Thanks Antonia! I hope you get around to making this cake – it really is so good! 🙂 Great to co-host with you again too! Happy Fiesta-ing and have a great weekend.
Pumpkin and apple sound like a great combination for a quick bread! And it’s great for this time of year!
Thank you Nancy – totally delicious! 🙂
Wow Laurena – there are so many good ingredients in your cake – no wonder it was hard to stop eating it! Apples and pumpkin together and throw in some maple syrup has me wishing for a slice (or two). Very creative 🙂
Thank you very much Judi – I’m thinking I should go and make another loaf now! I know it will get eaten! 😀 Have a great weekend.
You have combined two of my favorite fall flavors in this loaf – absolutely delicious!
Thank you Lily! I’ve never used them together before and they work so well – I hope you have a chance to make it! 😀
Hahahaha!! Me, I think I am dreaming of apples. Too bad I don’t have much time to bake like crazy now since my boss started to ask me to have only one day off – booooo!! Now, that’s scary! Haha!
Anywaysssss, this cake looks so good! I wish I could grab a slice from my screen! My green tea is waiting! 😀 Thanks for co-hosting, Laurena. x
Thank you Jhuls – I wish I could send you some! 😀 We made another one already! 😛
Nooo… only one day off?! That’s not so good – you need ‘me-time’ and cake time! 😛 Glad you still have time to Fiesta though! 😀 x
Oh my gosh Laurena, you”ve been on a bender, lol!! I
love a good dense snacking bread like this! I can’t get my mind off gingerbread this fall…
Lol Mollie that did make me giggle! 😛 Thank you! Ooo gingerbread, that’s what I could try! 😀
Hi Laurena, just turned off the oven and can’t wait to see the result…thank you for sharing this recipe! I have a long list of delicacies from your posts I want to try out, but very little time to stay in the kitchen….never mind, I’ll keep them in store for Xmas!
Winter is at the door here and from tomorrow the temperature is going to drop…at last! As usual it will be from too warm to too cold…..
but there’s a lovely cake ready to warm us up!
Have a nice weekend!
Ooo 🙂 Excellent! So glad you found time to make this! I’m guessing it’s cold there now – it was 4c here today! a bit different from the 16c last week! Enjoy the cake! 🙂 xxx
Couldn’t wait until tomorrow morning, I’ve just had a piece…the moisture of the apple chunks, the crunchiness of the pecan nuts, those lovely spices…it’s a symphony of flavours!
Brava Laurena! ???
Hoorah! Thank you! So glad you liked it! 🙂 Yumyum! Do you have mincemeat there so you can make the mince pies?
This looks awesome although for my own health I’ll eliminate the pecans. I’d really like to make this! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! Let me know how yours turns out! ???