Pumpkin Cake: Recipe for a Happy Hobbit Day

Tomorrow marks the birthdays of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins in Tolkien’s tale. More than anything else, hobbits love food. In fact, they plan six meals a day, including breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, dinner, and supper—not to mention afternoon tea. So what better way to celebrate Hobbit Day than to enjoy some Shire food?

The following Pumpkin Cake recipe might be a family recipe from my non-Shire homestead, but it compliments any hobbit meal and is handy for parties—especially unexpected ones.

Ingredients: 

– 3 cups sugar
– 1 cup of oil
– 4 eggs
– 1½ teaspoons salt
– 1 teaspoon allspice
– 2 teaspoons baking soda
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 teaspoon nutmeg
– 1 pound pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin works too)
– ⅓ cup water
– 3½ cups flour
– 1 cup of chopped walnuts (if desired)

Instructions: 

1. Beat sugar and oil. Add eggs on at a time. Add all dry ingredients except flour. Beat well. Add pumpkin and water. Beat well once more. Add flour and mix well. Blend in one cup of chopped walnuts if you wish.

2. Put mixture into two medium-sized loaf pans and bake at 350°F for 45 to 60 minutes or until top of cake is dry and a knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Enjoy this cake with tea, fine ale, or Old Toby.