I decided to add chocolate to this pumpkin cake, it was so tasty. the hazelnut praline paste is amazing too I cant wait to make another jar, I just used the last of it on another chocolate cake for my younger brothers birthday I decorated it with Ferrero rochers as this hazelnut nut paste when mixed with chocolate reminds me of them.

the last few bundt cakes I have made have stuck to the tin so I did a little happy dance when this one slid right out.

caramelising the hazelnuts to go on the top with maple syrup is so quick and easy too, it seems to heat a lot quicker than sugar and water so the whole process only takes about 5 minutes.

Recipe

• 265g self raising flour
• 250g pumpkin puree
• 200g butter melted or 225ml oil
• 40g cocoa powder
• 50g chocolate chips
• 50g chopped hazelnuts
• 3 eggs
• 250g caster sugar
• Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180c and grease a bundt tin.

a bowl whip together the eggs and sugar until fluffy then add the melted butter. Sift in the flour,  cocoa powder and salt and mix in then finally add the pumpkin puree and then mix in the chocolate chips and chopped hazelnuts then pour into the bundt tin and bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Once cooked let cool for 5 minutes in the tin then turn out on to a wire rack.

For the hazelnut praline paste

• 200g hazelnuts
• 160g caster sugar
• 3 tbsp of water

Add the water and sugar in a pan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar has melted then insert a candy thermometer and heat until it reaches 120c add the nuts and stir, it will start to crystallise so keep stirring until it turns to a liquid again. Tip out onto a lined tray and place in the fridge for 15 minutes until it is hard then break up and put in a food processor and process until it resembles a a fine crumb. Add two tbsp of water and continue to pulse until a wet paste forms. I then I pushed it through a sift so it was smooth. (add more water if needed)

To make the glaze add 4 tbsp of this with 2 tbsp milk and 20g icing sugar then drizzle over.

To caramelise nuts add 100ml maple syrup in a frying pan and heat until a rolling boil starts (about 5 minutes) poor in 100g hazelnuts and stir then tip out on baking sheet and Seporate the hazelnuts and spread out on a piece of baking paper using two forks and leave to harden then place on top of the cake.