Moist and Rich Pumpkin and White Chocolate Cake - A Chocolate Racist No More

Are you a chocolate person? Hang on a sec! What kind of question is this???!!! Who isn't?

Hmm, actually there are so many non-chocolate people here in Hong Kong. They are the kind of people who would prefer fruity or Chinese sweets than chocolate. But I am not one of them. I don't only love my chocolates so much, errr too much, I went ballistic when they announced that many chocolate products might've been tainted by melamine from Chinese milk products. The idea of having to stop eating chocolate....Arrrgghhh!!!! NOOO!!!!


Living in a world of choices, preference, favoritism and subjectivity, I am guilty of not treating all chocolates equally. Frankly, until recently, I think I have been a chocolate racist. I love, adore and respect only dark chocolate, and like a faithful lover, I don't look at any other chocolates...to me, other chocolates do not exist. Until yesterday, I've overlooked and ignored white chocolates completely for far too long.


It all began when I was thinking of something which could complement pumpkin nicely. My favorite dark chocolate would've killed the beautiful scent and flavor or pumpkin....so I chose a couple of good bars of whiteys, and as I expected, they are perfect for each other, it was like a match made in heaven. The richness of cocoa butter from the white chocolates gave it an extra kick, without killing the flavor or the pumpkin and the spices.

Moist and Rich Pumpkin and White Chocolate Cake

Recipe
- 1/2 cup of mashed pumpkin (I used a quarter of mini pumpkin, removed the seeds, peeled off the skin, chopped it into about 1x1 cm cubes, add a dash of milk, and microwaved it on high for 7 minutes, then mashed them with a fork)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon (you can adjust according to your taste. I love them, so I used loads)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup flour
- 100 gr white chocolate (chopped into small cubes, or you can use white chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 180C. Mix all ingredients except flour and beat until well blended. Add flour, mix well, fold in white chocolate cubes/chips, bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Submitting this recipe to Wandering Chopsticks' Weekend Wokking, Pumpkin, hosted by Ning of Heart and Hearth.

This is now an equal opportunity kitchen. Chocolates of all colors and shapes are welcome. ^_^