Kabocha Spiced Rum Cake Recipe: The Best & Most Interesting Cake Recipe You'll Bake All Year by Chef Gigi

Looking for that perfect dessert this winter? Kabocha is the Japanese word for squash. This squash has a nutty, earthy flavor with a touch of sweetness. 

So delicious and versatile! Kabocha squash can be used in savory and sweet applications, like this easy spiced rum cake recipe. This rum cake recipe is delicious warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 75 to 95 minutes
Total Time: 2 1/2 hours (approximately) 
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 1/2 cups mashed kabocha squash
• 8 large Medjool dates, pitted
• 3 tablespoons quality dark rum
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup cane sugar or coconut sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Pecan Caramel Glaze

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup whole cream or your favorite nut milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped

Here's how to make it: 

1. Carefully cut the squash in half with a sharp serrated knife and remove the seeds. (Save the seeds for roasting.) Spritz the top halves of the cut squash with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Place squash cut-side down onto an oiled baking sheet. Place in center rack of preheated 350-degree F oven and bake until golden brown and a knife runs easily through the flesh, depending on the size of your squash, anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. Cool.
2. While the kabocha squash is in the oven, prepare an 10-inch bundt cake pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside on top of a lined cookie sheet.
3. In a bowl, combine the pitted dates with 1 tablespoon of the rum. Fill with boiling water and soak the dates to reconstitute, about 15 minutes. Strain the water solution, discard and place dates in a food processor or blender. Process to a smooth paste.
4. While the dates are processing, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, all the spices including salt and the pepper. Set aside.
5. Remove cooled kabocha from its skin by scooping out the cooked flesh with a large spoon. Add the flesh straight to the food processor or blender with the dates and pulse process until completely smooth.
6. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, add the butter and sugar. Beat on high speed until butter is creamed and pale in color and sugar crystals begin to dissolve, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add purée and mix an additional minute. Add 1 egg at a time beating in between addition until smooth. Add buttermilk and orange juice, vanilla and the remaining rum. Beat well.
7. Add dry mixture working in two additions, beating until just combine with every addition. Scrape bowl. Stir in the orange zest. Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Smack it on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles and level out batter. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. While the cake is cooling, make the pecan glaze. Allow cake to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, before applying glaze. 
9. To make the pecan caramel glaze, in a pan over medium heat, melt the sugar. When the sugar melts and begins to turn golden around the edges, reduce the heat to low and begin to stir until all the sugar has completely melted. Add the butter and cream carefully (the cream will bubble up fast and could boil over). Continue to cook, stirring on low heat until you have a smooth caramel sauce (this may take up to 10 minutes). Once the glaze is completely thick, stir in the pecans. Remove from heat. Cool to a thick but pourable consistency.
   

Variation: Dust the cake with a 1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar spiked with 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice.

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