So picture me (in full-on lovey-dovey mode) with a ton of girl stuff, including 30 pairs of shoes and a container of baking equipment, invading a one bedroom flat.
The Man invested in storage units, I got rid of all the clothes I hadn't worn in 3 years (and was keeping "just in case"), and I said "bye for now" to my enormous ice-cream maker and baking robot which moved to the attic.
9 months later though, a third of my stuff is still in boxes. The single book shelf that is mine has been invaded by his latest buys, and I sometimes wish I could storm out to another room (which wouldn't have to be the bathroom) when I get angry with him (would that be the honeymoon phase coming to an end? Yeah, maybe there's a little bit of that too).
We've come to the difficult conclusion that this can't go on any longer. So we're buying a bigger house.
Orange and butternut squash cake
This is one of the best sponges I've ever made. As often in cakes made with vegetables, this cake doesn't taste strongly of pumpkin, but is full of its smooth consistency and moisture. Orange and pumpkin are a match made in sponge heaven.
With its lovely colour and autumnal spices, it's a perfect seasonal cake!
Ingredients
225 grams self-raising flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon of mixed spice: I used cinnamon, nutmeg and turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
175 grams golden caster sugar
3 large eggs (beaten)
200 ml sunflower oil
225 grams butternut squash/pumpkin purée (canned purée is fine)
1 orange (juice and peel)
Method
1/ Preheat the oven to 180deg C (160deg C fan oven). Grease and
base line a medium sized cake tin.
2/ Sift together the flour, baking powder and spices into a large bowl,
stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs, oil, extract,
rind and juice then stir until smooth. Add the puree and stir in well.
3/ Spoon the batter into the cake tin and bake in the centre of the oven
for 45-55 minutes until a metal skewer comes out clean from the centre of the
cake. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a
wire rack to cool.
4/ Lightly dust the top of the cake with icing sugar.
Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson's orange and butternut squash cake recipe