#NicaBakeOff: An almost Healthy Sweet Treat - Pumpkin and Apple pie

This week, for our #NicaBakeOff, one of the team is sharing their own recipe for pumpkin and apple pie! Take a look at her recipe below, and  if you try it out for yourself, why not get in touch @Nica_Handbags on Twitter and let us know?

Ingredients 

1 cup of puréed pumpkin (made from approx. 1 small pumpkin)

1 cup of apple sauce (with no added sugar) 

3/4 cup of wholemeal rye flour

3/4 cup of plain white flour

2 eggs (to make a vegan version substitute eggs for flax seeds)

1/2 tsp of baking powder

1/4 tsp of bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp of cinnamon

1/2 tsp of ginger (powder)

1/2tsp of freshly grated or powdered nutmeg

A pinch of salt

1/2 cup of organic bee friendly runny honey or agave nectar (dependant upon how sweet)

Toasted almonds to sprinkle

2 tsp of coconut oil for greasing (butter can be used as a substitute)

For the frosting (optional):

180g light cream cheese

2 1/2 tbsp of organic bee friendly runny honey or agave nectar (dependant upon how sweet)

Step by Step

For the pumpkin purée:

• Begin by chopping your pumpkin in half and scooping out the seeds*. 
• Stab the pumpkin several times on both sides to allow for steam to escape, and place in the microwave for approx 10 mins until soft (If you have extra time you may want to roast your pumpkin instead for a stronger flavour).
• Once the pumpkin is soft, scrape out of the skin and place into a food processor. Whizz this until a purée forms – Easy peasy!

For the cream cheese frosting (optional):

• Combine the tub of light cream cheese with the honey and stir until smooth, taste to see if you are happy with the sweetness. To  make it sweeter, simply add more honey. 

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to gas mark 5 and grease two cake tins with coconut oil, then, place in the oven.
• Begin by placing all of your dry ingredients into a bowl (sieved flour, spices, pinch of salt, baking powder & bicarbonate of soda) and mix together.;
• Combine all of your wet ingredients and mix (eggs, honey, pumpkin purée & apple sauce).
• Fold wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and stir to form a cake mixture – making sure all of the flour is mixed in.
• Pour mixture half and half into your two pre-heated cake tins and bake for approx 35 mins, then, test to check if it's cooked through the middle by prodding with a folk. If still clean when removed, then, the cake is ready. Leave to stand.
• Once cool, spread the cream cheese frosting onto the bottom base. Place the top cake onto the base as to form a sandwich effect. Add the rest of your frosting on top, smoothly decorating the top and sides.
• Once finished, dust by carefully sprinkling cinnamon through an icing sieve from a distance over the top of the cake, and finish by generously sprinkling toasted almonds on top. 

*(Save the seeds for a healthy snack or to sprinkle over salads by washing and soaking over night, then, spread evenly over a greaseproof paper lined baking tray and bake until golden brown. Season with a sprinkle of your choice of seasoning – My favourite is a pinch of salt and paprika) 

We’d love to see what you've been baking, so, why not tag us in your photos @nicahandbags on Instagram?