Preheat the oven to 180 °C and line a medium-sized baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the pumpkin in half and place the two pumpkin halves cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the rind has softened.

Remove the seeds and separate the flesh from the rind using a spoon, place it in a medium-sized bowl and puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Allow to cool completely. You can prepare the pumpkin puree also the day before.

Preheat your oven to 170 °C.

In another bowl, mix the butter and sugar until creamy, then add the egg yolks, mixing well to combine.

Add 250 g of the pumpkin puree and stir with a spoon. If the pumpkin does not taste very sweet, you can increase the amount of sugar.

Add the cornstarch, one spoonful at a time, and the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form, then gently fold into the pumpkin mixture using an up-and-down motion.

Bake the cake for about 40 minutes. Before removing from oven, test the doneness with a toothpick…the pumpkin cake should be moist and slightly soft in the center, similar to chocolate cake.