Maple Kabocha Cake

By Maverick19

Ingredients

• 1 kabocha squash (2 lbs)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup dry sherry
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/8 tsp salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup dark maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs, room temp
• confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the squash on a baking sheet; roast until tender, about 35 minutes. Remove and let cool, then slice in half. Discard the seeds, then scoop out the flesh until you have 1 cup.
2. Generously grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan. In a small bowl, add the raisins and sherry; let sit.
3. Lower the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar using an electric mixer on high speed until smooth. On low speed, mix in the maple syrup and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the squash, then the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time until incorporated. Drain the raisins, add to the batter. Pour into the pan, smoothing the top.
4. Bake the cake until springy in the center and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack; let cool 30 minutes. Remove the side of the pan, transfer the cake to a plate and dust with confectioners' sugar.