Sometimes, in the middle of fall, usually just before Thanksgiving, it hits me: A desperate craving for pumpkin pie. One year, after a few days of my whining and hinting, pastry chef Roxana Jullapat came up with this delicious cake to shut me up. As comforting as that classic American pie but even better, Roxana’s pumpkin cake was super moist and infused with the spicy flavors of fall. And, knowing my love of all things crunchy, nutty, and salty, Roxana topped the cake with a generous layer of crispy pecan streusel. Though pumpkins have an esteemed place in our childhood memories, they actually aren’t very good to cook with—they’re often watery and usually lacking in flavor and sweetness—so we make our “pumpkin” cake with Kabocha or butternut squash instead. “Winter squash cake” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
Ingredients
Pecan streusel topping
Maple ice cream
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Step 2
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and place on a baking sheet, cut side up. (Don’t remove the seeds yet; they give extra flavor.) Cover with foil, and roast about 1 hour, until very tender. Let cool 10 minutes, and then scoop out the seeds and discard them. Purée the warm squash through a ricer or food mill and measure out 1 1/2 cups. (You can reheat any leftover purée, season it with salt, pepper, and butter, and eat it for dinner!)
Step 3
Turn the oven down to 350°F.
Step 4
Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 10-inch round cake pan. Brush the bottom of the pan with a little butter, and then line it with the paper.
Step 5
Place the 8 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise down the center, and use a paring knife to scrape the seeds and pulp onto the butter. To make sure not to lose any of the seeds, run your vanilla-coated knife through the butter (don’t use your fingers, because the seeds will stick to them). Add the vanilla pod to the pan, and cook the butter over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the butter browns and smells nutty. Remove the vanilla pod and discard.
Step 6
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a large bowl. Add the salt. Make a well in the center.
Step 7
In another large bowl, whisk the reserved 1 1/2 cups squash purée, milk, a 1/4 cup cream, eggs, and honey to combine. Pour the liquid into the well in the dry ingredients, and whisk until incorporated. Stir in the brown butter, scraping with a rubber spatula to make sure you get all the brown bits from the pan.
Step 8
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 25 minutes, then remove the cake from the oven and sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top. Bake the cake another 45 minutes, until the topping is crisp and the cake has set. (The center of the cake will still be somewhat soft and won’t pass the toothpick test.) Cool the cake on a rack for at least 15 minutes.
Step 9
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip 1 cup cream to soft peaks.
Step 10
Cut six slices from the cake and serve with scoops of maple ice cream and dollops of whipped cream.
Pecan streusel topping
Step 11
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step 12
Spread the pecans on a baking sheet, and toast them 8 to 10 minutes, until they darken slightly and smell nutty. When the nuts have cooled, chop them coarsely. Toss the nuts with the oil and salt.
Step 13
In a food processor, pulse the butter, sugars, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg until just combined. Remove to a bowl, stir in the salted pecans, and chill until ready to use.
Maple ice cream
Step 14
Bring the milk and cream to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat and cover.
Step 15
Whisk the egg yolks and maple sugar together in a bowl. Whisk a few tablespoons of the warm cream mixture into the yolks to temper them. Slowly, add another 1/4 cup or so of the warm cream, whisking continuously. At this point you can add the rest of the cream mixture in a slow steady stream, whisking all the time. Pour the mixture back into the pot, and return it to the stove.
Step 16
Cook the custard over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently and using a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan. The custard will thicken, and when it’s done will coat the back of the spatula. Strain the mixture, stir in the maple syrup, and chill at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Note
Step 17
You can roast the squash and make the streusel a day ahead of time. Be sure to drain the squash after it’s roasted and just before using it; it often continues to give off water. I’ve been told you can substitute canned pumpkin in this recipe.
