Wash pumpkin, remove the seeds with a spoon, and then cut into wedges. If you want, you can peel it, but it’s not necessary with Hokkaido pumpkin since the peel is edible and softens quickly when cooked. Cut wedges into 1-1½ cubes.

Cook the pumpkin cubes in a saucepan with 1-inch water, covered, until the pumpkin is tender, about 20 minutes.

Drain pumpkin in a colander, then blend using a stick blender or food processor. Let the pumpkin puree cool a bit.

Grease a loaf pan or line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C) top and bottom heat.

In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, 1¼ cups (300 g) pumpkin puree, melted butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and whisk using a hand whisk. Add flour and baking powder and whisk until combined.

Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan.

Optional: For a crunchy sugar-crust, mix 1 tablespoon sugar with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle the cake with the cinnamon-sugar.

Bake the cake in the preheated oven at 350 °F (175 °C) until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 55 minutes. If you opted for the sugar crust: After about 15 minutes of baking – or when the cake surface dried out a bit (isn’t liquid any more) and is developing a crust – score the crust of the loaf lengthwise using a knife, for a beautiful crack that runs along the center. Continue baking for 40 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown.

Let the cake cool. Enjoy!