It's the time of the year for PECAN!

There is no debate to this, thanksgiving is nearing, and it's the Halloween - it's PECAN time!

It was V's American-Belgian boss Loic's birthday last week, and our Halloween-centric friend Ginny's on 31st, the two of them have one thing in common - pecan! I could have added pumpkin into the mix for the halloween theme, but with the time constraint after a day of work this is what I have settled with, it takes only 45 minutes and it turned out fantastically! So here it is, you can still make it in time for the Saturday night dinner!

Maple pecan crumble cake

INGREDIENTS

For the pecan crumble

50g chopped pecan

3 tbsp white flour

5 tbsp castor sugar (or brown sugar if you prefer)

50g butter

For the cake

150g chopped pecan

375g flour

4 tbsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

120ml milk

150ml maple syrup

120ml vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTION

1. For the pecan crumble mix all ingredients with your finger tips until combined, as if you are making an apple crumble topping. Remember, the idea is NOT to melt the butter. Set aside.

2. For the cake, mix dried ingredients, pecan, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl.

3. In another bowl, mix all wet ingredients, milk, maple syrup, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla extract.

4. Add the liquid to the dry mixture, folding the liquid in without over mixing, otherwise the cake would become very dense.

5. Transfer the cake mixture into a greased cake tin, and bake in an oven at 200 degree Celsius for 20-25 minutes.

6. Take the half-baked cake out of the oven, and quickly sprinkle the crumble mixture on top. Put cake straight bake into oven to bake for another 10 minutes or until the crumble turn golden. (Insert a pick to check if the cake is thoroughly baked, it should come out clean if it is!)

*To add to the theme of Halloween I have simply bought some chocolate eyeballs and sprinkled on top for Ginny.

**Some people find the cake a little under-sweetened. If you have a sweeter tooth feel free to add a spoonful of honey to the cake mix to give it the extra sweetness!