This refined sugar free butternut quash cake will surprise you with its naturally sweet flavor a uniquely salted cream cheese frosting!
Butternut Squash Cake is a healthy nutritious cake with a mildly sweet flavour from natural maple syrup. This cake is loaded with mashed butternut squash and topped with fresh cream cheese frosting but with a twist – sea salt. You will love my Weetabix carrot cake also
this naturally sweet butternut squash cake
✅is much heathier than a normal cake and suitable for weight loss diets.
✅is refined-sugar free and contains no heavy cream or butter.
✅can be easily made into vegan using flax eggs and maple syrup.
✅is loaded with healthy butternut squash.
✅can be eaten at tea time or as a breakfast too without much guilt.
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Ingredients for Butternut Squash Cake
Butternut Squash puree – You can also use pumpkin puree. I roasted sliced butternut squash and mashed using a fork. You can use any variety of squash.
Maple syrup – can use honey too and no refined sugar is necessary.
Eggs – If making for vegans, you can use flax eggs instead.
Oil – I used vegetable oil, you can use olive oil too.
Yogurt – Make sure it is thick and doesn’t contain any excess water. Greek Yogurt works fine.
Flour – I used self-raising white flour, am not sure how whole wheat flour works as the cake comes out already dense because of natural sweeteners like honey.
How to make Butternut Squash cake?
Beat the wet ingredients oil, maple syrup, yogurt, eggs until fluffy using an electric mixer or a hand held mixer.
Add in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and mix well.
Once the batter is ready, add the mashed butternut squash and mix well.
Transfer the batter to a well greased cake pan and bake for at least 40 minutes at 170C.
Once cake is cooled down, apply your favorite frosting all over the cake and enjoy.
How to test the cake is baked?
Butternut squash cake took me 50 minutes to be well done. I inserted a fork in the middle of the cake which came out clean at 50 minute point.
But every oven is different so I suggest you to keep an eye on the cake after 30 minutes.
Texture and Taste
If you are after a perfect Instagram worth cake, sorry this isn’t one. This butternut squash cake by no means is pretty but filled with natural healthy ingredients.
The cake is not fork tender but a bit more on the denser side . I promise the taste is absolutely worth trying.
Serving Suggestions
Like all cakes this is best enjoyed with a cup of tea but I had it as a breakfast for 3 days in a row!
Ideal as a mid afternoon snack too.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes, totally. Replace honey with maple syrup, use flax eggs instead of normal eggs to make this cake vegan. Am not sure if gluten-free flour works as I have not tried myself.
Storage and Freezing instructions
My version of butternut squash cake is not suitable to store for more than 3 days. it is denser than normal cakes so the more aged it is the harder it becomes, so best to enjoy within days.
Store this cake in a refrigerator after first day.
I would not freeze this cake but you can try and let me know how it works.
Making Butternut Squash puree
Peel the skin and slice then length wise or chop into big cubes.
Place on a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes at 170C or until they are tender.No need to use any oil for baking .
Once cooled down , either pulse it in a blender or mash with a fork.
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Butternut Squash Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A healthy refined sugar-free butternut squash cake with salted cream cheese frosting, perfect for weight loss and calorie counting diets.
Ingredients
- 250 g or 1 cup butternut squash cooked and mashed
- 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder*
- ½ cup honey
- 3 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoon Greek Yogurt
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
For Frosting
- 1 tub or 180 grams low-fat cream cheese softened at room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- a pinch of sea salt
- Mixed nuts for decoration(optional)
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven at 300C and grease a baking tray with oil and flour.
Batter prep Beat oil, eggs, honey, yoghurt until pale and fluffy using handheld or electric beater.
Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and mix well to form a thick batter.
Add the cooked and mashed butternut squash(roasted and mashed) and mix well. If needed add a little milk to dilute the batter.
Bake Pour the batter in a geared pan and pat down twice. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 45 -50 minutes by checking in between.
If a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean, your cake is baked completely.
Cooling down Allow it to cool down on a wire rack before you can apply cream cheese frosting.
Frosting
Allow the cream cheese to soften naturally at room temperature. Add little sea salt and a splash of vanilla essence.
Beat with an electric beater or even a fork until creamy and spreadable.
apply on the cooled down cake and top with sliced nuts and roasted butternut squash pieces.
Notes
- Sweetener: Use maple syrup or honey. the next best alternative is dark brown sugar.
- You can also use pumpkin puree instead of squash. Also, apple would be a nice addition.
- The nutrition info s only an estimate only.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Global
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