My Favourite Breads
I haven’t been baking with pumpkin puree because I dreaded the thought of buying pumpkins, peeling, cooking and mashing them. That takes a lot of effort! I am one of those lazy people who always want to expend the most minimum of effort and still get amazing results. I know I’m lazy but I also hate canned foods. The idea of eating from a can day after day horrifies me because my mother always cooked fresh food. I don’t think my mum ever owned a can opener. Did she???
Anyway I discovered I could buy unsweetened pumpkin puree in a can (please note I never hang along the canned food aisles, unless I’m looking for beans, corn or whole or pureed tomatoes). I spent a whole week baking with unsweetened pumpkin puree and I loved every single cake I made. Today I want to share the Date, Apricot and Cashew Pumpkin Bread. My hubby brought me a lot of cashew nuts so if a recipe says nuts, cashew nuts it shall be. Cashew nuts taste really good in cakes or in pesto. If you’ve never tried to bake or cook with cashew nuts, please give it a try. You won’t regret it. I hope you’ll love this bread. We devoured it in one afternoon with tea…my kids had orange juice. They don’t care much for tea. Please don’t use pumpkin pie filling for this recipe. It’s too sugary I wish you a very pleasant weekend. I am looking forward to World Cup Finals. I have lots of German friends.
- Ingredients
- 125g whole wheat flour
- 125 all-purpose (plain) flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice (or pumpkin pie spice)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon grated orange rind (zest)
- ½ cup chopped dried apricots
- ½ cup chopped dates
- ½ cup chopped Cashew Nuts (you can use other nuts)
- 150g (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) fully packed and pressed brown sugar
- 60ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 120ml (½ cup orange) juice
- 30ml (2 tablespoons) golden syrup
- 1¼ cups canned pure pumpkin puree, without sugar or additives (do not use pie filling)
Please always remember to assemble all ingredients before you start. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease or spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf tin.
Sift flours, baking powder, baking soda, mixed spice and salt.
Stir in orange rind (zest), apricots, dates and walnuts. Make a well in the centre.
Whisk together sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, orange juice, golden syrup and pumpkin puree
In a bowl
Until thoroughly mixed
Pour this mixture into the well and mix until just combined.
Spoon into the prepared tin (pan) and bake for 70-80 minutes until golden brown or until a skewer inserted in the middle, comes out clean. Leave in tin (pan) for about 5 minutes then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
Serve
It had the crunch of cashew, coupled with the chewy sweet dates and the spicy aroma of the spices
Date Apricot and Cashew Pumpkin Bread
Preparation time: 30 minutes; Cooking time: 70-80 minutes; Makes: 10 slices
Ingredients
- 125g whole wheat flour
- 125 all-purpose (plain) flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice (or pumpkin pie spice)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon grated orange rind (zest)
- ½ cup chopped dried apricots
- ½ cup chopped dates
- ½ cup chopped Cashew Nuts (you can use other nuts)
- 150g (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) fully packed and pressed brown sugar
- 60ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 120ml (½ cup orange) juice
- 30ml (2 tablespoons) golden syrup
- 1¼ cups canned pure pumpkin puree, without sugar or additives (do not use pie filling)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease or spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf tin (pan).
- Sift flours, baking powder, baking soda, mixed spice and salt. Stir in orange rind (zest), apricots, dates and walnuts. Make a well in the centre.
- Whisk together sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, orange juice, golden syrup and pumpkin puree. Pour this mixture into the well and mix until just combined.
- Spoon into the prepared tin (pan) and bake for 70-80 minutes until golden brown or until a skewer inserted in the middle, comes out clean. Leave in tin (pan) for about 5 minutes then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
Points to Note:
- Please note that oven temperatures are given as a guideline only. You may need to add or reduce the suggested temperature depending on your oven. I baked the pumpkin cake at 350°F (180°C) for 70 minutes.
- I always weigh ingredients, especially the flour and butter. You can use cup measures, but please note if you scoop flour directly from the bag you will end up with 150-185 g of flour instead of the recommended 125g. I suggest you spoon the flour into the cup, heaping it up over the top, then slide a knife across the top to level off the extra. Be careful not to shake or tap the cup to settle down the flour or you will have more than you need. You can also sift the flour first then scoop. Best advice: use a weighing scale, you’ll get the best results.
myfavouritepastime.com
My Favourite Pastime 
[…] do not use the pumpkin pie filling for this recipe. It’s way too sugary. I started with this pumpkin bread, then went on to muffins, then pancakes, pikelets and crepes and even made some pumpkin risotto. I […]
Awesome!
Gonna try this recipe in the fall …looks yummy !
Oh I wish you a happy trying. Best wishes!
Liz
A beautiful bread! I can see it served with good cheese as well, like a ripe brie. Fabulous!!!
Thank you, Chef mimi. We really enjoyed eating it. Have a lovely weekend!
Liz
I am glad you got over your anti-canned-food position and tried this–it’ll open up all kinds of new possibilities for you! The bread looks great!
ha ha I really enjoyed using the unsweetened pumpkin puree. I shall definitely be buying it again!
Liz
You always make me feel hungry with your yummy photos. Keep it uo, Liz! 🙂
Hi Joseyphina,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope life in Ghana is super good. I wish you a lovely weekend!
Liz
Not a post of yours goes by without my mentally acknowledging (and sometimes salivating) how good ‘that’ looks. 🙂 Thanks.
Hi Eric,
Thank you for the kind words. It tastes good too! Have a wonderful week!
Liz
Another great looking bread. Love pumpkin bread and never thought to put in apricots. What a wonderful idea! Funny you mention to work of fresh pumpkins..,I need to plant my pumpkin seeds this weekend! Last year we didn’t get any to grow. The year before we planted too early and had them in July. The joke was on us, it wasn’t Christmas in July, it was Halloween in July!! It was too hot to even think about roasting them all in the oven so we grilled them, puréed it and then froze it. It was wonderful tasting pumpkin, hoping we get some again this year.
Mama D,
the combination of pumpkin and apricots was so good, you should consider trying it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope your pumpkin seeds will grow this year, in time for halloween. Enjoy the weekend!
Liz
What a yummy bread!
Thank you, Silva. Can I give you a slice?
Liz
More than one, please!
I have just been admiring that chicken with champagne. I need to buy some sparkling wine, straightaway!
Liz
I don’t use real Champagne for this recipe, but a very good Italian sparkling wine as Prosecco, that I offer during all the meal. It’s fantastic like the more popular and chic French Champagne.
Okay I shall buy Prosecco and try out the recipe some time next week. Thanks for letting me know. Have a great weekend!
Liz
This bread is very original! I love its warm colours!
Oh yes I love the colours too!
Liz
*drops everything and makes this*
ha ha enjoy it. I hope you like it!
Liz
This gives me a good idea. I think I’ll try this. Also waiting to see what happens with the World Cup final. Holland lost, Darn it.
I was actually supporting Holland. Was so sad when they lost. Now I am so so. I bet Germany will win. Have a great weekend`!
Liz
I think Germany may shred Argentina. We’ll see. Have a great weekend too.
Thank you. They shredded Brazil…
Liz
Totally Shredded!
ha ha!
Love the addition of cashew.. Healthy bread
Thank you. It tasted very nice, soft and sweet.
Liz
Looks too good Liz!!!
Thank YOU!
Liz
Love the addition of Cashew:) healthy bread
Thank you. Love cashew too!
Liz