If you’ve been watching this space for some time, you may remember this pumpkin, almond, and olive oil cake that I developed a couple of years ago. It was one of my first blog posts and now is one of the most popular recipes on my site. I revisit it several times every fall. To me, the cake is the equivalent of a big warm hug on a crisp autumn’s day. I am reposting the recipe to add the revelation that is the white chocolate and cinnamon ganache. The creamy spiced glaze complements the depth and nuttiness of the sponge in the most divine of ways.

As the winter months creep in and the howling sounds of the cold wind become louder, we crave those foods that bring us comfort and calm. And November just isn’t November without the comfort food that is pumpkin. This olive oil, pumpkin, almond, and spice cake offers the ultimate remedy to winter blues, Mediterranean style.

The olive oil combined with almonds provides for smooth and moist texture. And most importantly, the Eastern spices such as all-spice and cloves complement the rich pumpkin to entertain the palate. Indeed, this is the ultimate dessert of the autumn season in all of its colors and flavors.

INGREDIENTS/ MAKES 8-10 SERVINGS

For the Cake

1 packed cup almond flour/ ground blanched almonds
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon all-spice
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup extra-virgin or pure olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs

For the White Chocolate Ganache

1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup good quality white chocolate chips
pinch salt

For Garnish

Cinnamon
Chopped Almonds

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9 inch. springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with baking paper and lightly flour its sides.

Combine the dry ingredients into a bowl – almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Mix to combine. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin puree, olive oil, vanilla, and sugars. Mix until smooth and whisk in the eggs, one at a time, just until well incorporated. Using a baking paddle, fold the flour mixture into the pumpkin batter until well combined.

Spoon the cake batter onto your prepared pan and bake for about 40-42 minutes or just until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Note: opening oven door before cake is fully cooked may cause its center to sink.  Let the cake cool completely, flip over onto a serving plate, and remove paper lining. Top with white chocolate ganache and garnish to your liking .

For the ganache, place the heavy cream in a sauce pan over low heat just until hot. Remove the cream from the fire, add the white chocolate, and let sit for about 3 minutes before stirring. Add a pinch of salt and stir until smooth. Let cool for a few minutes or to your desired consistency before spreading over the cake.

Garnish with ground cinnamon and chopped almonds.