“Pumpkin” Cake with Pecan Streusel and Maple Ice Cream

Name: “Pumpkin” Cake with Pecan Streusel and Maple Ice Cream
Ingredients: 1 Kabocha or butternut squash; 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus a little for the pan; 1/2 vanilla bean; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 3/4 teaspoon baking soda; 3/4 teaspoon baking powder; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 1/2 cups whole milk; 1 1/4 cups heavy cream; 3 extra-large eggs; 1 tablespoon honey; Pecan streusel topping (recipe follows); Maple ice cream (recipe follows); 1/4 cup pecans; 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 2 cups whole milk; 2 cups heavy cream; 4 extra-large egg yolks; 1/3 cup maple sugar

January 24, 2012

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.

Recipe notes

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