Aunt D's Apple-Patty-Cake; uses Patty Pan Squash

( this cake takes a little effort and time but it is SOOO worth it!)

Prepare the bundt/tube pan with "bakers grease"

3 Tablespoons flour

3 Tablespoons Vegetable oil

3 Tablespoons good shortening.

Blend together well with an electric hand blender, with an emersion blender or small food processor until well blended, using a basting brush, coat the sides of the tube/bundt pan well being sure to coat all creases and grooves, don’t for get the bottom and tube. The lightly but evenly, dust the coated pan with flour and set aside.

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Note: The large old fashioned “White Flying Saucer” Patty pan is the variety-style-type I am speaking of and working with in this article; there are other variety-style-type of patty pan squash in the garden but these are my favorite for this cake

For the purpose of grating raw for cakes and breads, the skin does not have to be pealed, but if you prefer to do so , the skin is easiest to work with when the skin is White, lightly-green/blue-tinted or palest-palest yellow. As the squash gets older and its skin darkens the patty pan squash will become as hard, or harder than, butternut squash to peal. (Note: When the skin is this tuff is when they are best for baking stuffed, or roasted.)

with a whisk, combine the following in a medium bowl, then set aside

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons of wheat germ,

1teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon of Sea salt.

Using a stand mixer, beat together (or electric hand mixer)

3 eggs,

blend then next three ingredients in small bowl and slowly add to eggs while beating, :

1 cup organic (or regular white) sugar and 1 cup dark or light brown sugar

1teaspoon of dry ginger,

1/2 a teaspoon of nutmeg

add the following to egg-sugar-spice mixture

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Beat till smooth then turn off the mixer and let rest 5 minutes.

Beat again at low-medium till the mixture turns light in color, about 1 min

With the mixer on low(stir), add the flour mixture slowly and turn to 2(medium)

beat 1 min.

then with the mixer on stir low, fold in the following:

Add them one at a time, and give at least 15 seconds between the additions to allow the beaters to “extract” moisture from the squash and fruits into the batter.. this is what makes it so moist!

1 1/2 cups of pealed, grated patty pan squash

2 med-large winter banana apples,(or other semi-sweet apple you like)

1 cup of raisins.

1/2 a cup of chopped pecans, (optional)

pour into 2-medim sized prepared tube/bundt or 1 large prepared tube/bundt pan or into large muffin bundts . What ever pan you choose should be no more than 1/2 to 2/3rds full of the batter.

Bake for about 50 min, ( smaller sized pans may need as little as 30 min ) till a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake in several places come out clean and the cake is a med-dark gold-ish brown

To un-mold the Cake(s):

let cake(s) cool in pan for at least 10 minutes ( if they can sit till they are completely cooled it is better) . Give the cake a bit of a giggle in the pan to be sure it is loosed from the sides, if needed take a very thin spatula and run it along the sides of the cake gently to loosen form the pan, then invert it onto a plate lined with wax or parchment paper or onto a wire cooling rack placed over a foil lined pan.

Topping Glaze:

1 and 1/2 cup Apricot-pineapple preserves

3 tablespoons Star Thistle honey

1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

Powdered sugar

Heat the preserves till they are liquid again, add the honey and the vanilla and stir well together. Brush this on to the entire surface of the cake, pushing the preserved fruit pieces to the too to adorn the top. Don’t forget to coat the center. Let this sit for about 5 min then sprinkle with the powered sugar.

To Freeze

If you want to make this ahead and freeze, once you have glazed and sprinkled your cake, cover loosely with waxed or parchment paper and set flat in the freezer till completely frozen. Them wrap 1^st with plastic cling wrap, then foil, then freezer paper to protect.

This cake freezes well for up to 60 days ( at least I have never had one sit any longer in my freezer to find out if it is still good being frozen longer. )

To defrost,

completely unwrap the frozen cake and place it on a cake plate lined with parchment paper about 24 hours before you want to serve it. You may need to re-dust it with powdered sugar.