Halloween Pumpkin Cakes – treat or treat

Halloween Pumpkin Cakes

I have to say I love Halloween and get seriously pissed off by these miserable killjoys, of the type that only seem to be found in England, who bemoan its Americanisation in this country. An egg through the letterbox for these idiots. For a start, I can think of three things that we all should be worshipping at the cloven hooves of satan for when it comes to Halloween and America: Jamie. Lee. Curtis. Halloween's great and my kids, especially my oldest, are little bundles of excitement at least a month before the big night. I mean, what's not to love about kids dressed as skeletons, zombies and vampires (and their mums invariably dressed as rather devilish, er, devils – but that's another story) and ignoring decades of Government-sponsored safety advice by knocking on strangers' doors and asking for sweets?
In our household we also carve Jack o'Lanterns (my best effort pictured above) and use the scooped out pumpkin flesh to make soup. However, this year I found a recipe for Halloween pumpkin cake courtesy of BBC Good Food and thought I could adapt it to make fairy cakes (the batter made 18). Basically the recipe is a carrot cake one, but with pumpkin instead, and was a great success. The cakes were light and airy, with a delicious orange-scented butter cream topping. Will not be waiting a whole year to make these again. Woooooooooo!!!!

Ingredients:
For the cakes:
300g self-raising flour
300g light muscovado sugar
3 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
175g sultanas
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs, beaten
200g butter, melted
zest 1 orange
1 tbsp orange juice
500g pumpkin flesh, grated

For the drenching and frosting:
200g soft cheese
85g butter, softened
100g icing sugar, sifted
zest and juice 1 orange

Method:
1.  Pre-heat oven to 180C/gas 4. Like 2 muffin trays with fairy cake cases. Put the flour, sugar, spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine. Beat the eggs into the melted butter, stir in the orange zest and juice, then mix with the dry ingredients till combined. Stir in the pumpkin. Spoon the batter into the cases and bake until golden and springy to the touch. It should take between 20-30 minutes but keep your eye on it.

Just out the oven

2. To make the frosting, beat together the cheese, butter, icing sugar, orange zest and 1 tsp of the juice till smooth and creamy, then set aside in the fridge. When the cakes are done, cool for 5 mins then turn it onto a cooling rack. Prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle with the rest of the orange juice while still warm. Leave to cool completely. 
3. Give the frosting a quick beat to loosen, then, using a palette knife, spread over the top of the cake in peaks and swirls.