Roasted Kabocha – Real Ale Mini Cakes with Brown Sugar Cream

Posted by Rachel

November 2, 2009

Last weekend was another lovely meeting of the Austin Food Bloggers. Every month or so, we get together for a potluck, each one having a different theme. In September, it was a hatch chile-themed potluck and there were some pretty great treats – Hatch Brownies, Hatch Sourdough, even Hatch infused vodka, just to name a few.

This month, the theme was beer. The fabulous folks at the 512 Brewing Company hosted us for an evening of unlimited beer and yummy foods made with beer.

photo by Jennie Chen at MisoHungry

What is so great about these potlucks is not only that there is SO.MUCH.FOOD, but also that the food is wildly creative and delicious. This is not the sort of potluck where, inevitably, someone shows up with a bucket of soggy fried chicken from KFC. This is that sort of potluck where Beeramisu (a play on Tiramisu) is placed next to delightfully tangy Beer-Lemon Curd from Jennie at MisoHungry. It’s a potluck where Lisa from Lisa is Cooking brings gooey Beer-Pretzel-Cashew Caramels and Kristi from Austin Farm to Table brings her amazing Oktoberfest Pizza with Beer Braised Sausage, Sauerkraut, and Stoneground Mustard.

With so many talented foodie folks in this town, it’s always fun to come up something creative to bring. This time around I decided on these little baby cakes. I’m pretty much totally over the whole cupcake fad, so I refused to make these in a muffin pan or to even call them cupcakes. These are mini-cakes. Even individual cakes, if you will. Not cupcakes. Please, not cupcakes.

(Of course, if you would like, you can totally bake these in a muffin tin and call them cupcakes. Your kids will love them.)

These cakes are so incredibly moist and a perfect indulgence for the fall.

ROASTED KABOCHA – REAL ALE MINI CAKES WITH BROWN SUGAR CREAM
makes twelve mini cakes
adapted from this recipe at Epicurious

There is very little flour in these guys which is part of the reason why they are so moist. And, it also makes it much easier to adapt it to a gluten free recipe. Just substitute the all purpose flour for 1 cup of your favorite high protein gluten free flour mix. I’ve included a recipe for my favorite high protein mix below. Oh, and make sure that your oat flour is gluten free. If it isn’t, just replace the oat flour with another 1/3 cup of your GF flour mix.

For the Brown Sugar Cream:
1/2 teaspoon agar agar powder
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 Tbs. agave nectar
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten and placed in a medium sized, heat safe bowl
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the Cakes:
3 lbs. kabocha squash, sliced in half lengthwise and seeded
1/4 cup coconut milk, or more as needed
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds removed (reserve pod for another use), or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Nonstick canola oil spray
1 1/3 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup mild-flavored olive oil
1/2 cup Real Ale Brewhouse Brown Ale , or other dark brown ale (Newcastle would be great)
2 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup oat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt, or 1/2 tsp. sea salt

1. For brown sugar cream: Stir agar agar, cream, and sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Temper the warm cream mixture into the egg whites and then add the mixture back to the saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk until mixture thickens, about 12 minutes (do not boil). Strain into a clean bowl. Cover and chill until cold. (This can be made ahead and chilled overnight.) When the cream has set, transfer it to a stand mixer and whip to stiff peaks. Place cream in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and set aside.

2. For cakes: Lightly spray the flesh of the kabocha squash with non-stick spray and place it face down on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Roast the squash in a 425 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until it is soft. Allow it to cool to room temperature.

3. Scoop out the flesh and puree it in the food processor. Add coconut milk as needed to create a smooth puree.

4. Turn the heat in the oven down to 375°F. Spray 12-(6oz.) ramekins with nonstick spray. Place 1 cup of the squash puree in a large bowl (reserve remaining puree for another use). Add sugar, vanilla seeds, oil, beer, and egg to the squash puree and whisk together. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt over the wet ingredients and stir until smooth. Divide batter among prepared ramekins.

5. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in ramekins. When cakes are cool, remove them from the ramekins and pipe brown sugar cream on top.

GLUTEN FREE HIGH PROTEIN FLOUR MIX
makes about 5 1/4 cups or 1.5 pounds of flour
adapted from a recipe in Gluten Free Baking with The Culinary Institute of America

1 3/4 cups (9oz.) white rice flour
1 1/4 cups (6oz.) tapioca starch
1 3/4 cups (6oz.) soy flour
1/2 cup (3 oz.) dry milk or dry soy milk powder

Whisk it.

OTHER KABOCHA SQUASH RECIPES FROM AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
Kabocha Squash Simmered with Lemon at Mental Masala
Shrimp and Kabocha Squash in Coconut Milk at Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Kabocha Pumpkin Hot Pot at Serious Eats
Crustless Milk and Cardamom Pumpkin Pie at No Recipes
Kabocha Cookies at Bread + Butter (You can use your high protein gluten free flour mix to make these gluten free.)