Rum Raisin Squash Bread (with optional toppings)

I've made this cake a couple of times and really love it. I've been playing with the shape. It works well as a loaf, muffins and a square. Today I think for me might be best as a round, although a wide muffin might be nice if you wanted to serve individual portions. Really it depends on why you are making it - if you just want a tasty tea cake, a loaf or muffins would be best, but if you want to dress it up then make it into a large square or round cake.

Regardless of the shape this is one damn fine recipe, especially good for cool autumn days or winter evenings with a hot mug of mulled cider, but it also works surprisingly well as a dressed up, after dinner dessert.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Butter and flour a 10 x 10 x 2 square tin or a 10 or 11" spring form pan or a 12 x 5 x 3 loaf pan or muffins tins.

Sift together in a large bowel 3 cups whole wheat flour, 1 T baking powder, 1/2 tsp Baking Soda, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg.

In another large bowl whisk 2 eggs then add 2 cups cooked spaghetti squash,combine then add 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup Canola Oil. Stir in 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup rum.

Add the dry ingredients to the squash mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.

Add 1 cup of chopped Pecans and 1/2 cups raisins or currants (I soak them in the rum first for about 10 minutes but it's optional).

Empty the batter into the prepared pan of your choice.

Cook for 1-1 1/4 hours. The top of the cake should be brown and tooth pick should come out clean. Be very careful with this cake especially in the loaf form as my first attempt seemed great but was this undercooked in the center so you really want to make sure you cook it enough.

Toppings

The simple approach is to dust it with some organic icing sugar and serve it with unsweetened whipped cream. I have this thing for molasses so I made up this caramel colored icing that is really intense and seems to have people divided, but if it interests you I'd try adding less molasses at first and increase it as your taste buds desire.

Take an 8 oz package of cream cheese and 4 T of butter out of the fridge and bring to room temperature then cream them together with a whisk or beaters (I use my Kitchen Aid).

Add 1/4 cup molasses, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup icing sugar to the cream cheese mixture and cream together (I added some dark rum as well but that's up to you).

Spread the icing on top of the cake and decorate with roasted Pecans.

The other option would be to make a plain cream cheese icing.

Good however you have it!