During early October, I met up with one of my now favourite bloggers, Kimberley from The Little Plantation.
Together, we collaborated on this recipe for a Mini Pumpkin Cake with Almond "Cream Cheese" Frosting and both photographed them using her wonderful selection of props.
I've been itching to share the results with you ever since!
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This was my first collaboration with another blogger and although we both worked a long, hard day on this recipe, we had a lot of fun doing it! Kimberley is so über talented.
Despite being fairly new to photography, she seems to have a natural way with the camera and a flare for styling, which I found so inspiring.
It's definitely motivated to improve my photography and spend a little more time working on my shoots instead of my usual somewhat-lazy attitude. It's also inspired me to do some prop shopping!
The cake mixture itself, is something Kimberley created, inspired by carrot cake. Unlike most pumpkin cakes where it calls for pumpkin puree, she chose to use grated pumpkin which gives an amazing texture.
I couldn't believe how delicious it was! I'm going to be using the recipe to make muffins very soon.
And if you wish to adapt this recipe for muffins, simply reduce the baking time by half to make 6 muffins.
I was in charge of the frosting. Cream cheese is a classic combination with carrot cake as well as pumpkin cake so I thought it would be the perfect frosting.
It's made using almonds which gives a beautifully subtle flavour and sweetness. It's actually the same frosting I used for my Butternut Squash & Orange Cake recipe. So I knew it would work well!
See Kimberley's amazing photography in her version of this post. And whilst you're there, check out some of her other recipes!
📖 Recipe
Mini Pumpkin Layer Cake with Vegan Cream "Cheese" Frosting
Ingredients
For the pumpkin cake
- 75 g spelt flour
- 75 g plain flour
- 100 g light, soft brown sugar
- 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- 90 ml vegetable oil
- 90 ml almond milk
- 1 ½ tbsp of ground flax seeds + 4 ½ tbsp of water
- 50 g grated butternut squash or pumpkin, place a kitchen paper towel on top to absorb some of the moisture before using this
- 50 g roughly chopped almonds
- Zest of ½ an orange
For the cream "cheese" frosting
- 100 g 1 cup ground almonds
- 80 ml ⅓ cup almond milk - or more if needed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Juice of half a large lemon
- 2 to 3 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup
Instructions
To make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease 3 ramekins (diametre 3.5inch or 10cm) with coconut oil.
- Mix together the flour, sugar, chopped almonds, bicarb, spices and salt. In a separate container mix together the ground flax seeds and the water and let stand for 2-3 minutes.
- Then in a larger bowl mix together all the wet ingredients - the oil, milk, ground flax and water, grated pumpkin an orange zest.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Don't overmix. Everything should be just combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins and bake in the oven for 40min (if making 6 cupcakes please half the baking time) or until risen and golden.
- Cool in the ramekin for 10 minutes or so.
- Place the 3 mini cakes in the freezer. This will make it easier to trim off the rounded top of the cake and allow you to frost and stack the cakes into a three-tiered mini cake. Leave for about an hour and then carefully trim off the domed top to create an even flat surface.
To make the frosting
- Mix the ground almonds, almond milk, vanilla, coconut oil, lemon juice and maple syrup together in a food processor or blender until a thick, smooth icing has formed.
- Spread the frosting evenly between the three layers.
- Optional: Decorate with zested orange and dried orange slices.
Nadia's Healthy Kitchen says
Mmm I love carrot cake!! I like the thin and tall look of this one :)
Consuelo | Honey & Figs says
These look so cute and the pictures are stunning! Can't stop staring at them! *-* Pinning, for sure! x
Rebecca@Figs and Pigs says
Looks super cute and delicious. Your photos are beautiful by the way.
Maikki | Maikin mokomin says
That must be one of the cutest cakes I have ever seen :)
Kimberly/TheLittlePlantation says
Oh Aimee. Such a kind, sweet write up. It was an utter joy meeting you and working with you.
I love how you made these pictures your own. Gorgeous!