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Friday, November 26, 2010

A Fall Breakfast Cake




For a crisp Fall morning, here is a breakfast cake featuring ingredients that might be left over from the feast!  Squash, pecans and currants enrich this brown-sugar praline-topped cake.  Nibble this while tidying up.


Last week's trip to the orchard yielded a huge bag of Empire apples and an even larger bag containing three massive Butternut squash.  I was so impressed with the squash, I just had to buy them.  I thought that with Thanksgiving coming, pies and side dishes would use them up.  Well, I split and roasted just one of them, and despite my best efforts I still have a large bag full of beautiful cooked squash.  And that's just one of the three. And so, when breakfast rolled around, it seemed like a good idea to start reducing the backlog, as we say.  



Of course, I spent the evening after Thanksgiving dinner making and canning an enormous batch of Cinnamon Applesauce, 23 jars to be exact.  I wanted to use a bit of this in the cake, as well as the lovely pecans and currants I've brought in for the holidays.  If you have similar ingredients in the pantry this weekend, try making this yummy little breakfast cake!  I think you'll love it.  --Sue





Praline Squash Breakfast Cake


In Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350F
Spray a 9" square pan (or similar) with cooking spray.  Mine has a removable bottom.


Ingredients

For the cake:
Wet ingredients:
2 eggs plus 2 additional egg whites
1/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark), packed
1/3 cup sugar
(Optional)1 Tablespoon Vermont maple Syrup, grade B
1/4 cup Thick Cinnamon Applesauce (or use finely chopped apples and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon)
1/2 cup cooked squash, scooped out of the skin
1/4 cup light cream (or milk)

Shortening:
2 ounces unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 and 1/4 cups flour

Nuts and Fruit:
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
(Optional) 1/4 cup currants or golden raisins

For the topping:
2 ounces unsalted butter (1/2 stick), softened
1/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark), packed
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
5 Tablespoons flour
(Optional) 1 Tablespoon Toasted Hazelnut Flour



Process
  1. Make the Topping: In food processor bowl with blade attached, combine all topping ingredients and pulse until crumbly.  Remove this to a covered bowl while preparing the cake.
  2. Make the Cake: In the food processor, combine Wet Ingredients, pulsing to combine after each addition.
  3. Add the shortening, pulsing to combine well
  4. Add the Dry Ingedients, pulsing to just combine (do not overwork).
  5. With a spoon, Stir in the Nuts and Fruit.    Batter is now ready to use.


  6. Pour batter into the prepared pan.



  7. Bake for 10 minutes at 350F, then open oven door and sprinkle topping on the cake.  Resume baking and continue for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake is browned and slightly puffed.  Check for doneness in the center of the cake with a toothpick, which should come out clean.
  8. When done, remove cake to rack to cool for 15 minutes, then remove the outer pan, if using a removable-bottom pan. 


  9. Slice and serve! 



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3 comments:

  1. What a fabulous combination of Fall flavours for breakfast! yum!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Such a great idea! Can't say I've ever had squash for breakfast, but I love the thought of it. Great photo of the icy branch :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. wow looks so wonderful!..though we don't have the habit of eating cakes for breakfast, this surely tempts!..

    ReplyDelete

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