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1
Remove the seeds and skin from the kabocha squash and make ready about 400 g of flesh.
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2
Cut into pieces and cook until tender.
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3
While the kabocha squash is cooking, make the cookie crust.
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4
Put all the cookie dough ingredients into a bowl and mix well with your hands.
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5
When the dough comes together, use it to line the base of the cake tin.
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6
Prick the base with a fork and chill in the refrigerator.
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7
Preheat oven to 180C.
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8
Mash the cooked kabocha squash up roughly.
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9
Add the sugar, salt, butter and honey while the kabocha squash is still hot and mix well.
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10
I usually use 50 g of sugar for this because the pumpkin itself is naturallly sweet.
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11
Add the eggs and heavy cream, and mix well in a blender.
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12
If you don't have a blender use a food processor or a handheld mixker to make a smooth batter.
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13
If you're using cinnamon, add it in at step 6.
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14
If you want to enjoy the flavor of the kabocha squash itself do not add any cinnamon.
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15
Pour the cake batter into the cake tin with the crust from step 3.
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16
Drop the cake tin gently onto your counter several times to knock out any air bubbles.
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17
Lower the oven temperature to 170C and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
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18
Cover with aluminium foil when the surface is as browned as you want it to be.
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19
When you open the oven door, the temperatuer is lowered, so set the temperature higher at first than you need for baking.
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20
It's best to heat up the oven tray too.
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21
The cake will puff up, but it will shrink down when it's out of the oven.
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22
This cake doesn't have any flour so do not overcook.
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23
Otherwise the cake will be very dry.
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24
When a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean it is done.
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25
If there is some batter on the skewer, bake the cake for a while longer.
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26
If the batter stuck on a skewer is not runny it is fine!!
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27
If the cake is rather stiff when you stick the skewer in, it's OK.
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28
This cake tastes best when it's a bit soft and liquid rather than over baked.
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29
Chill the cake before serving.
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30
It think it's definitely tastier that way!!
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31
Plus, unless you let it cool down it's really hard to slice properly.
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32
The sesame seeds and cookie crust really go well together!!
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33
Please be sure to add the sesame seeds!!
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34
When the cake is sliced, the sesame seeds make it look really pretty too.
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35
It looks better baked in a 18 cm diameter cake tin.
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36
If you don't have an 18 cm tin use a 21 cm one.
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37
This is baked in a 21 cm cake tin.
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38
It still looks quite elegant and nice, I think.
