Halloween Pumpkin Cake

To prepare the Halloween pumpkin cake, start with the glaze. Cut the pumpkin into wedges 1 and remove the seeds and inner filaments 2. Place the pumpkin wedges on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil 3, and bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for a little over an hour.

Once cooked, remove from the oven and let the pumpkin cool, then separate the flesh from the skin 4 and pass it through a fine mesh sieve 5. Now squeeze the orange 6

And add the juice to the sieved pumpkin flesh 7. Gradually add the powdered sugar 8, stirring carefully 9 until you get a glaze of the right consistency. It should not be too stiff, but also not excessively fluid. Set it aside.

Now focus on the cake: first peel the pumpkin 1 and cut it into wedges 2. Remove the seeds and inner filaments 3

Then proceed to grate the raw pumpkin 4. Also grate the orange zest and set aside 5. Then cut the orange in half 6

And squeeze out the juice 7. Add the orange juice to the grated pumpkin 8, mix and set aside. Place the eggs and sugar in a mixer with a whisk attachment 9 and whip at medium speed for at least 10 minutes, until the mixture is very light and frothy (if you don't have a mixer, you can whip the mixture with an electric mixer for at least 15 minutes).

While continuing to whip, slowly add the oil in a thin stream 10 and also add the grated orange zest 11. Separately, sift together the flour, baking powder 12

And almond flour 13. Mix well and while continuing to whip, add the flours to the mixer one tablespoon at a time, adding the next only when the previous one is fully incorporated 14. When you have used all the flours, remove the bowl from the mixer and add the grated pumpkin to the mixture 15.

Gently fold with upward movements using a spatula 16 until you get a homogeneous mixture. Weigh it and divide it into 2 greased and floured fluted ring molds of 8 inches in diameter 17. Bake the cakes in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 40 minutes, then remove from the oven and let them cool.

Once the cakes have cooled, place the first one with the bottom facing down on a wire rack placed on a tray, and with a flat, smooth knife cut off the top of the cake to level it 1. Perform the same operation for the other cake. Spread the jam on the cut part of the first cake 2 and cover with the second 3.

Pour the pumpkin glaze from the top down to the sides 4 to cover your cake evenly. Using the handle of a teaspoon as a spatula, go over the ridges of the cake to highlight them 5 and give the pumpkin a touch of realism. Let the glazed cake set in the fridge for at least an hour 6.

In the meantime, work on the decorations. Dust a silicone mat with powdered sugar and put on disposable gloves to avoid staining your hands, then divide the block of marzipan into 2 parts, one slightly larger than the other 7. Add 3-4 drops of red food coloring and 4-5 drops of yellow food coloring to the larger portion 8 and knead until you get a uniform orange color 9.

Shape the marzipan into a sausage shape, cut off one end, and flatten the other on the work surface to form a stem, which you will slightly bend to give it more realism 10. With a knife, score the surface vertically to make it ribbed 11. With 2-3 drops of yellow food coloring and a couple of drops of blue food coloring, color the remaining marzipan green 12

Roll it out to about 1/8 inch thick 13 and, using two leaf-shaped cutters of different sizes, form a dozen leaves 14. Re-knead the scraps and form some cords 15.

Twist each cord to create loops 16. Now all the decorations are ready 17. Take the now set pumpkin cake and place the cords on the top, starting from the hole in the top ring 18

Cover the hole in the ring with the stem, making it adhere well to the cake 19, then decorate the tendrils with the leaves 20. Your Halloween pumpkin cake is ready to be served!