Butternut Spice Loaf

Butternut Spice Loaf

Source: Southern Living in the October '92 issue.

1 (2-pound) butternut squash
½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large/jumbo eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ginger
½ cup pecans, chopped

CUT squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place cut side down in a
shallow pan; add water to depth of ½ inch. Cover with foil and bake at
400 degrees for 1 hour or until tender; drain. Scoop out pulp; mash.
Discard shell. Measure 1 ¾ cups pulp; reserve any remaining pulp for
other uses.

BEAT butter, gradually adding sugar; beat well. Add eggs one at a
time, beating after each addition.

COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices; add to butter
mixture alternately with squash, beginning and ending with flour
mixture. Stir in pecans. Spoon batter into greased & floured 9x5x3
inch loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or
until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Or bake in 4
small loaf pans for 50 minutes/mini loaf pans 40 minutes.)

COOL in pan(s) on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan (s), and
let cool completely on wire rack.