Pumpkin Prune cake

Sam and Ethan helped me make this on Sunday afternoon.  They pretty much did the hard bits like grating orange rind, juicing the orange, mashing the pumpkin and cutting up the butter etc.  They were well rewarded with the beaters and the bowl to lick afterwards.  However we didn't have any prunes so we used sultanas/raisins instead although I know the prunes would give it a good extra sweetness.  It is such a lovely moist cake with no need for icing.  It is so yummy straight out of the oven with the golden rich yellow colour and flavour.

Pumpkin and Prune Cake

250g butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup cold mashed pumpkin 

( I used jap pumpkin, it's suggested not to use butternut)

1/2 cup finely chopped prunes  or sultanas

2 cups plain flour

4 teasp baking powder

1/3 cup milk

Turn oven on to 180 degrees Celcius

Cream butter, orange rind and sugar together until light and fluffy, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in orange juice, pumpkin and prunes, then sifted flour and baking powder, alternately with enough milk to give a soft consistency.  Spread into greased deep 20cm round cake tin with base lined with paper, bake in moderate oven (180 degrees C) for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, stand 5 mins, turn onto wire rack and cool.  But not too much because you want to eat it when it's hot.