Pecan, Fennel and Squash Cake

This is not a diet recipe, but I figure you need a little treat and I still have too much squash.  I have made a ton of zucchini breads that are filling my freezer and being given away to everyone with a new baby or relative visiting.  I can’t remember where I got this idea for a cake but I know I read a recipe somewhere that inspired this one.  What is the difference between a zucchini bread and squash cake.  I am not a baker by trade, but breads are usually made with oil and cakes with butter.

I baked this one as a loaf and had too much batter so I baked this little ramekin cake.  I had one bite to make sure it was good.  I gave the rest to Russ who asked me if it had a lot of sour cream in it because it was so moist.  That was the squash.  It really does make a good cake.

6 cups of grated squash- I used zucchini and yellow squash

1 cup of pecans – toasted and chopped

2 t. fennel seeds

1 ¼ cups of butter

1 ½ cups of sugar

5 eggs

2 cups of flour

2 t. vanilla

½ t. salt

2 t. baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Grate the squash in the cuisineart and put in a colander and let drain for a half an hour.  Squish all the water you can out of it.

In a mixer put the butter and the sugar and beat together on med, high until if gets fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla and continue beating.  Add the flour, baking soda and salt and just mix it enough to incorporate it.

Take the bowl out of the mixer and add the squash, pecans and fennel and just fold it all together.

Spray Pam in a 9 x 5 loaf pan.  Pour the batter in the pan and bake for about 1 hour.