Pumpkin Sponge Cake

Enjoy this dessert and not feel guilty. This simple cake is perfect for those who don't want too add an inch to their waistline from heavy Thanksgiving desserts. Unlike most pumpkin desserts, this dessert is light and fluffy like a sponge. If you want something a bit richer, you can always add a scoop of pumpkin or vanilla ice cream on top.

Taste

This cake is sweet and flavorful. Pumpkin flavor is prominent and masks whole wheat flour's flavor if you use an extra pinch of clove and nutmeg. I used less spices since my husband prefers a lighter aroma. The fall spices complements the pumpkin flavor well and is not overpowering.

Texture

 Like a sponge, this cake is fluffy, airy, and tender. It is most moist when fresh and is best when eaten the day of. After a day, heat it up in the microwave for just a few seconds. Store this cake in an airtight container or it will dry out.

Modification

From studying five different recipes for inspiration, I came up with this one. Unlike all of them, this one has less sugar, uses Whole Wheat Pastry Flour instead of cake flour, and includes plain yogurt.

Ingredients		Method (makes one 10" cake)
Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)	⅔ cup (100g)	1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line cake pan with parchment paper or use 10" chiffon cake pan.
Baking Powder	½ teaspoon	2. Mix flour, baking soda, salt, spices in a clean dry bowl together. Sieve two times. Set aside.
Salt	⅛ teaspoon	3. In another bowl, mix oil, pumpkin, yogurt or buttermilk, egg yolks and half the sugar (1/4 cup) together.
Cinnamon	1 teaspoon	4. Sieve flour mixture over wet mixture and mix together gently. Stop once it is just combined.
Nutmeg	¼ teaspoon	5. In a clean and dry bowl, whisk egg whites. Once it is foamy, add the tartar powder while whisking egg whites.
Clove	⅛ teaspoon	6. Add remaining sugar in three separate additions to the egg whites while whisking the egg whites. Continue to whisk whites until it reaches the soft stiff peaks stage.
Sugar	½ cup (90g) - divide in half	Soft Stiff Peaks- whites will curl over and droop slightly. To check, stop stand mixer or hand held mixer and lift whisk from bowl. Some egg whites will hang onto the whisk. It will droop and have a curl.The egg whites will appear to be smooth and glossy.
Oil	2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (40ml)	7. With a spatula, gently fold ⅓ egg whites into the pumpkin mixture, then half of the remaining egg whites, and then remaining whites. Never stir batter.
Pumpkin Puree (canned is fine)	½ cup (100g)	8. Pour Batter into a 10 inch tube pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Yogurt or Buttermilk	2 Tablespoons	9. Cool pan inverted.
Eggs	6 (yolks and white separated)	10. Enjoy!
Cream of Tartar (optional)	½ teaspoon

*It is optional to include the cream of Tartar. Cream of Tartar is suppose to help stabilize the egg whits so it won't deflate easily. I made it a few times without it and had identical outcomes.