“Pumpkin” cake with pecan streusel
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut 1 Kabocha or butternut squash lengthwise and place on a baking sheet, cut side up. Done remove seeds yet. Cover with foil, roast about 1 hour, until very tender. Let col 10 minutes, scoop out seeds and discard or save for further roasting. Puree the squash through a ricer or food mill and measure out 1 1/2 cups. (You can rehead any leftover puree, season it with salt, pepper and butter and eat it for dinner). Turn over down to 350 degrees. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit bottom of 10-in round cake pan. Brush bottom with little butter, the line with paper.
Place 8 TBS butter in medium saucepan. Slice 1/2 vanilla bean lengthwise down center, use paring knife to scrape seeds and pulp onto butter. Make sure not to lose any seeds, run your vanilla-coated knife through the butter. Add vanilla pod to th epan, cook butter over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, shaking pan occassionally until butter browns and smells nutty. Remove vanilla pod and discard. Sift together 2 cups all purpose flour, 3/4 tsp baking soda, 3/4 tsp baking powder, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp nutment in a large bowl. Add 1/3 tsp salt, make a well in center. In another large bowl whisk reserved 1 1/2 cup squash puree, 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 3 extra large eggs and 1 tsp honey to combine. Pour liquid into the well in dry ingredients, whisk until incorporated. Stir in brown butter, scraping with rubber spatula to get it all.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 25 minutes, then remove cake from oven and sprinkle streusel (recipe below) evenly over top. Bake cake another 45 minutes, until topping is crisp and cake has set. Cool on rack for at least 15 minutes. Serve wth scoops of maple ice cream and whipped cream dollops too!
Pecan Streusel topping: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread 1/4 cup pecans on baking sheet, toast 8 to 10 minutes, until darden slightly and smell nutty. When they have cooled, chop them coarsely, toss with 1 tsp grapeseed oil, 1/4 tsp salt. In food processor, pulse 4 TBS unsalted, cold butter cut into cubes with 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 TBS brown sugar, 1/4 cup plus 2 TBS all-purpose flour, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp nutmeg. Remove to bowl and stir in salted pecans. Chill until ready to use.
