Green and Yellow Squash Loaf Cake

[Olga Drozd]

Green and Yellow Squash Loaf Cake

When your garden is overflowing with green and yellow zucchini make this flavourful loaf cake.

1/2 cup PLUS 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
4 medium summer squash (combination of zucchini and yellow squash)
1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons fennel seeds

Preheat oven to 425º F.  Generously butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan, dust with flour, tapping out excess.

Using a box grater, coarsely grate both types of squash.  Place grated squash in a piece of cheesecloth (or clean thin dish towel); squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Spread shelled pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven 5 minutes.  Transfer sheet to a wire rack to cool.

Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder into a medium bowl.

With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.  Add flour mixture; beat until just combined.  Fold in squash, pistachios, and fennel seeds.

Transfer batter to prepared pan.  Bake 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350º F. Continue to bake until cake is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 hour.  Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes.  Turn out cake onto rack to cool completely.  (Cake can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, up to 2 days.)

NOTE:  Purchase high-quality pistachios, and pick through the nuts for the greenest ones. After roasting, rub the nuts between palms to eliminate as much of the brown skin as possible.