Butternut Squash Loaf with Miso
I can’t resist a loaf cake. It just feels more like a snack than any other cake shape, and I like that. The Sesame Sweet Potato Loaf in my book Start Simple is still one of my favorites, but when I recently saw Dorie Greenspans’s Miso-Maple Loaf Cake in the New York Times, a little bell went off. I knew miso would be a perfect way to riff on that loaf, where in its original iteration sesame adds the savory note.
When I originally wrote the recipe, I strove to use less sugar than similar ones. Here, miso makes it even more savory than I could have expected—in a good way. The other change is that instead of sweet potato, I opt for roasted butternut squash, which disciples of Start Simple may already have lying around. It’s a somewhat different flavor, more pumpkiney than sweet potato, and its higher water content required a bit of fiddling. But it’s no less complicated, and once the squash is roasted, you’re only about an hour away from a terrific autumn dessert or snack, whichever you choose.
Butternut Squash Loaf with Miso
This is a riff on Sesame Sweet Potato Loaf from Start Simple, thanks to inspiration from Dorie Greenspan’s Miso-Maple Loaf Cake, that leans surprisingly savory. You’ll have leftover butternut squash here, which you can incorporate into soups and pancakes, or simply mash and serve drizzled with olive oil, plus salt, pepper, and chili flakes. And a flax egg works terrifically here if you wish to make the loaf vegan.
Makes 1 loaf, to serve 8
1 small to medium butternut squash (see note)
1/2 cup olive oil, plus additional for drizzling and greasing
1/4 cup miso paste (the darker, the more assertive its flavor)
2 tablespoons water
2 eggs or 2 flax eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat or spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Split the squash in half through the stem, scoop out the seeds, and rub all over with a bit of olive oil, then place each piece face-down on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender through the densest part of the vegetable. Allow to cool until safe to handle.
Reduce the oven temp to 325°F. Arrange racks a racks on the lower and upper thirds of the oven. Prepare an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan by brushing it all over with olive oil, and then lining with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over the sides.
Use a spoon to scrape away the flesh from the stem of the roasted squash, packing it into a 1 cup measure until it’s full. (Reserve the rest of the roasted squash for another use.) Place in a blender or food processor with the miso and water, and process until smooth. Add the 1/2 cup oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla, pulsing to combine, and then transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl.
Sift the flours, baking soda, and salt (or whisk them together in a separate bowl) over the squash mixture, and then fold to combine, using a spatula. Scrape the batter to the prepared pan, smooth it over, tap a few times to pop any air bubbles, then transfer to the oven. Bake for 40 minutes in the lower part of the oven, then rotate and move to the upper part to bake for another 20 minutes, until set in the center and well browned over the crust. Cool before slicing.
Wrapped loosely, the loaf will keep for 3 to 5 days.