This is the recipe for the ginger/squash cake that I made for consumption at the Knitted Vegetable Workshop. Once again, let us note the marvel that is Barbara’s knitted pumpkin!

This is adapted from a recipe in my much-used, much-post-it-noted and much-stained copy of Cook Eat Enjoy by Weight Watchers but sadly, due to my modifications, is unlikely to now be only 188 calories per serving. But it’s not far off.

Ingredients:
(dry)
200g SR flour
1 heaped tsp ground ginger
1 heaped tsp black peppercorns, freshly ground
1 tsp baking powder
salt to taste
100g light muscavado sugar
(wet)
2 eggs, beaten
1 inch fresh ginger root, grated
40g extra virgin olive oil
50g extra light margarine, melted
180g peeled and grated squash (I used half a squashkin for mine…thankfully, not a knitted one…)
7 or 8 large piece of crystalised ginger root, diced into small chunks (or not, if you like big chunks)
(toppings)
15g flaked almonds
15g pinenuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4/180*C/fan oven 160*. Lightly grease and line an 8″/20cm round cake tin with baking parchment.

Mix all the dry ingredients (minus the nuts) in a large bowl so that they are thoroughly combined. Make a well in the centre and stir in all the wet ingredients until the mixture is gloopy and smooth. Stir in the chunks of crystallised ginger, pour the mix into a cake tin and scatter the pinenuts and flaked almonds on the surface.

Bake in the centre of the oven for around an hour*, checking to make sure the top isn’t burning. If it looks like it is going to burn, put foil over the top. Insert a skewer into the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.

Cool the cake in its tin.

Enjoy.

*I actually have no idea how long I cooked this for, I confess. I think it may have been 1 1/2 hours, or maybe even closer to 2? I am pretty sure I put foil over the top for the second half of the cooking… I did forget about it at one stage but luckily, it was all fine.