Pumpkin cake is a typical autumn cake in America. It’s amazing because the mashed pumpkin provides the cake batter with ultimate moisture, giving it an amazing texture. Add to that warming pumpkin spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves) and a maple syrup frosting, and you’re in pumpkin heaven!

I’ve been making this cake for many years, and I’ve tweaked it so that by now it really has become the perfect pumpkin cake. This time I’ve decided to turn the loaf cake into mini cupcakes! The result is great, as you get more frosting in each bite than if you bake it in a square tin.

The challenge for making mini cupcakes of this cake is the unmolding. The pumpkin cake is super soft, so that it risks breaking when you take it out of a metal muffin tin (and they might stick to the sides). So to prevent any sticking and breakage, I used a mini muffin mold from Flexipan – made from silicone that can withstand temperatures up to 240°C. The muffins came out perfectly, with no breakage or sticking at all. I was very impressed.

I had actually been sent some Flexipan molds to celebrate the launch of my newest book, which will this time only focus on baking. And, Flexipan have decided to give you a discount too. Simply use the code ANNESKITCHEN20 at checkout, and you’ll get a 20% discount on any purchase from Flexipan.