The perfect autumn cake recipes making the best of seasonal produce

The weather fluctuation got you catching the blues and perhaps wanting it to be winter already? Hold your horses, how can you forget about autumn, even with its unbearable weather, it does get balmy with brilliant skies that might not be blue but all shades of pink and orange! To celebrate this beautiful weather, we got you some Autumn cake recipes that make the best use of seasonal produce like apples, pumpkins, and carrots.

1. Apple Cake

Apple cake

• 210 gm all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 150 gm caster sugar
• 1 cup apples (approx 1 big red apple), peeled and chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 120 ml vegetable oil
• 120 ml yogurt

Cinnamon topping

• 50 gm caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp butter, melted

Sugar glaze

• 30 gm caster sugar, sifted
• 1-2 tbsp milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Then grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a big bowl. Add the sugar and the washed and chopped apple. Stir to coat the apples.
3. In another bowl, add eggs, vanilla, oil, and yogurt. Whisk to break up the egg yolks.
4. Pour the contents of the egg bowl into the apple bowl and mix with a spatula without overmixing.
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.
6. Mix cinnamon, sugar, and butter in a bowl until you have a wet and lumpy mixture. Sprinkle it over the batter.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
8. Remove from the oven and transfer the cake to a wire rack to completely cool.
9. Now to make the glaze, mix sugar and milk, and stir to get a smooth glaze. If too thick, add more milk to get a runny glaze. Stir until smooth.
10. Drizzle the glaze over the cake, cut into pieces and serve.

2. Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 315 gm all-purpose flour
• 200 gm granulated sugar
• 200 gm brown sugar, tightly packed
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 235 ml vegetable oil
• 115 gm unsalted butter, melted
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 340 gm grated carrots
• 125 gm walnuts, chopped (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 115 gm unsalted butter, softened
• 225 gm cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• 500 gm caster sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and prepare two eight-inch square pans by greasing and flouring the sides and bottom. Then line with parchment paper. Set aside for later.
2. Sift flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a bowl and whisk to mix.
3. Add oil and melted butter next and mix well, using an electric mixer for quicker results.
4. To this thick batter, add eggs one by one, mixing after adding each. Pour the vanilla next and mix to incorporate. Fold in the carrots and nuts until combined.
5. Divide the batter into the cake pans and bake for 40 minutes. A toothpick inserted in center should come out clean with a few moist crumbs attached.
6. Remove from the oven, and let the cakes cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edges and invert to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Take a big bowl, add butter and cream cheese, and using an electric mixer, beat until smooth and lump-free. Add vanilla extract and salt and mix.
8. Turn down the speed to low and gradually add sugar until completely combined. Scrape down the bowl to get an evenly mixed frosting.
9. Using a spoon or piping bag, cover the carrot cake with frosting.

3. Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients

• 400 gm fresh pumpkin puree (from 1kg pumpkin)
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 350 gm caster sugar
• 250 ml vegetable oil
• 300 gm all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp salt 

For the frosting:

• 180 gm cream cheese block, room temperature
• 225 gm unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 480 gm powdered sugar, sifted 

For the decoration:

1. 120 ml maple syrup or honey
2. 60 gm walnuts, roughly chopped

Instructions:

1. Cut down a pumpkin, peel then scoop out the seeds. Cut the pumpkin into large chunks and add to boiling water, cooking for 10 minutes to soften. Drain, the water, let it cool, for 30 minutes then blend to get a puree. Use only 400 grams of the puree, and add it to a large bowl.
2. Set your oven to preheat to 180°C. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line with parchment.
3. To the pumpkin bowl, add eggs, sugar, and oil and whisk to combine. Once smooth, sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, and salt, and mix well.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for 10 minutes. Then turn out to a cooling rack to cool off for two hours.
6. Add cream cheese and butter in a bowl and on medium-low speed on an electric whisk, beat for two minutes until smooth and fluffy.
7. Add the sugar in 3 batches, beating on low speed until incorporated. After adding the third batch, turn the beater’s speed to high and beat for three minutes. Once the frosting is light and fluffy add the vanilla, beat for a while, and stop.
8. Spread the frosting over the pumpkin cake and use the back of a spoon to make swirls.
9. Drizzle the honey or maple syrup, into the grooves greeted and sprinkle with chopped nuts.