This homemade cake recipe will surprise you with its sweet flavor and healthy ingredients. This butternut squash cake is chock full of nutritious squash, natural sweeteners, and delicious flavor. You’ll be making this lovely cake with naturally sweetened cream cheese frosting on a regular basis for your family! It reminds me of a spice cake with cream cheese frosting but with more wonderful nutrition :).
This Butternut Squash cake and frosting uses maple syrup to sweeten it. Only maple syrup. And, if you are lucky enough to have a local supply (like we are)…you are excited right about now, aren’t you! You understand the amazingness that means! Recipes using natural sweeteners are my favorite, for sure!
Do I have to use freshly roasted Butternut Squash?
No, for sure not. It’s fairly easy to roast up a squash but, I often will take shortcuts to make this quick and easy…
The easiest way to get butternut squash is in bags from Trader Joe’s. If you don’t have access to that and don’t want to go through the trouble of preparing a butternut squash, you can use canned pumpkin puree instead. Just make sure you use pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie puree. Pumpkin pie puree already has a bunch of spices and sweeteners added to it, so your butternut squash cake will taste wonky.
Another great trick… the baby food aisle. It sounds strange but you can get already pureed butternut squash in the baby food section. So, if you are looking to save some time, shop the baby section.
Quick trick for this butternut squash cake: line your pan with parchment paper, spray and flour the parchment paper, and then when the cake is done pick up the paper edges, flip it over (be sure to let it cool a couple of minutes!), and voila!…no dishes!
Maple Syrup Cream Cheese Frosting
The frosting for this cake is also naturally-sweetened and utterly divine. You’ll be eating it by the spoonful! There have been a few readers that commented and let us know that it works great to sub out honey for the maple syrup, if you prefer. If you do so, decrease the amount of honey by half and then add it back as needed.
Cake for YOU. Cake for YOU. And cake for YOU.
This butternut cake recipe is a great way to introduce veggies to your kids in a new way! Ask them if they can taste the squash in the cake? We bet they will say no!
This squash cake is delicious. Not, oh my gosh call Mom delicious. (that would be my homemade chocolate cake recipe) But, really, really good. Truly! The kind of cake you could make every single day and not feel one bit bad about. The kind of cake you make for company. Or for Sunday brunch. Or because you had a bad day. It is just that versatile, easy, and delicious.
Butternut Squash Cake (naturally sweetened)
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 3/4 cup maple syrup (use local, or real! Do NOT use fake pancake syrup)
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 3/4 tablespoon nutmeg
- 1 cup butternut squash cooked and mashed(or can of pumpkin puree)
Cream Cheese frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 tbsp butter softened
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 3 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Turn the oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat the oil and syrup together.
- Add eggs and yogurt,beat well.
- Stir the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in. Stir gently.
- Add spices and squash. Stir just until mixed.
- Spray (or line with parchment paper) a 9inch pan.
- Pour the batter into the pan.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat all of the ingredients together and add additional sweetener, as needed.
Recipe Notes
top with Cream Cheese frosting!
The recipe for that Chocolate Cake I was talking about? The most popular recipe on our site? Ever. In history. …
can raw grated butternut squash be used?
Author
You know, I’ve never tried it. I think it needs to be cooked and pureed for the consistency to be correct. But, if you do try it…let me know how it goes!
The recipe looks great! Could you substitute local dandelion honey instead?
Author
What a great question! I imagine so. Although I am not sure if that would change the flavor.
Can raisins be added to the cake and if so, how much? Thanks.
Author
I’m sure they could. I never have and can’t say with certainty how many to add. I would try 1/3 cup and see what you think of that.
Did you intentionally leave the cooking time? I cannot find it.
Author
Gah!! The magical world of internet. Where things change and move. If you look at the very top of the recipe it shows cook time. IT’s small and hard to find. Totally annoying, that way. But, for this recipe we recommend 40 minutes. I would check at 30 and see what you have and probably go another 10. Good luck! This is so tasty!
What is the recipe for the frosting? Can I use yogurt with cream cheese for the frosting THanks, I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Author
Oh no!! We updated our recipe
System and it must have messed with some of the recipes. Here it is…
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese at rom temp
4 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
What gave the frosting in the photo a spicy look? The recipe above for frosting makes it all white…
Author
A sprinkle of cinnamon and cloves. Totally optional ;)
I made this exactly as directed except for one thing: rather than baking, I poured the batter into my waffle iron! OMG! DELICIOUS! Fast, easy, and perfect every time! I have a round Oster Belgian waffle maker. Set it on low and cooked it for a total of 3 minutes. Made exactly 4 waffles using 1 cup of batter per waffle. Will be doing this again! (Possibly tomorrow! Haha!)
P.S. I didn’t use icing, or anything extra. It didn’t need it! Very moist, perfect consistency (not too dense), and wonderful leftover! We just ate it like bread!
Author
What a fantastic idea!! I love this recipe and never thought to do anything beyond cupcakes and cakes. So clever and smart!
If I have an whole butternut squash should I steam it or can I roast it?
Author
Roast it! Cut it in half and roast it. Easy peasy!
Another great trick… the baby food aisle. I know, it sounds strange but you can already pureed butternut squash in the baby food section. So, if you are looking to save some time, shop the baby section
In above paragraph you forgot a word. : GET between the words can and already. Or between already and pureed
Author
Thank you!!! I’ve changed that. One of my greatest challenges is grammar. When I got into this business it was for creating and sharing and I completely underestimated the writing part. Thanks for the help!
This cake looks so good! I love all the wholesome ingredients used here! This means I can have two slices ;)
Author
Dessert time just got an upgrade!
What does 2/3 c. Mean for olive oil. Do you mean “cup”. I just want to be sure since you wrote cup for the other ingredients but just “c” for olive oil and maple syrup. Thank you!
Author
Yes, it does mean cup. I should go in and clarify that so it is more clear. Thanks for asking!
This cake does look delicious. I know you made the disclaimer that it contains natural sugar in the first paragraph, but you went on to call it sugar-free many other times. Cup per cup, maple syrup has more sugar in it than white sugar does. 3/4 cup of maple syrup has 160 grams of sugar in it, 3/4 cup of white sugar has 150 grams of sugar in it. There is very little scientific evidence that maple syrup is healthier than white sugar.
This sounds incredible! I love the butternut + maple combo and I bet it’s lovely in a cake.
Thanks, Faith! The combo really does work!
I made this cake recently and it was superb. I used sifted whole wheat flour only because it’s the only one I had on hand, and it made the cake more dense – kind of like a pound cake. It made it even better than expected. My husband could not believe how delicious this was and that there was no added sugar. I will definitely make it again. Amazing recipe! I also used honey instead of maple syrup in the cake. I really liked the way it came out. And I substituted honey in the frosting for the maple syrup. It was amazing. One of the best cakes I’ve made. Thanks!
Thanks Olya!!! We love to hear the ways people use our recipes, and to hear that others like them as much as we do! It’s also great to hear that your substitutes worked out well; we might have to try ours that way, too!!!
What size pan did you use? The cake looks delicious.
This was a 9 inch circle pan. And thanks! It really is good!
So I tried this…only thing…unfortunately 45 mins was not long enough..even though the tester came out pretty dry..should have gone with my instincts and kept it in the oven longer…the centre was not cooked..Thank heavens I’m not on Masterchef…. The outer edge of the cake is good, very moist and the cream cheese frosting is lovely. I think I will make cupcakes next time for individual servings…
Glad you liked it! We’re starting to get the feeling our oven might cook a bit hot, so it was wise to just check on it.
Actually, all of those worried about maple syrup (which has a low glycemic index) should be more worried about the flour, which immediately turns to glucose.
Author
Thanks Jane! Yes, and those people would be wise to try a substitute like almond or coconut flour. However, we wrote this recipe for the many of our readers that are avoiding processed sugars and not necessarily diabetic diets. We’ve actually been getting a good lesson in the difference between sugar free for “clean eating” diets and diabetic diets. So interesting!
Do you know how many weight watchers points it would be
Sorry, we don’t!
I ran it in WW recipe builder with low fat plain greek yogurt and full fat cream cheese, the total recipe points were 111. If you plit the cake into 10 servings, each serving is 11 points.
Thanks for letting us know, Kim!
This loils delish. Can I make it with acorn squash instead?
We haven’t tried it…but you should! Let us know if it works out…and if doesn’t, blame us :)
Just to clarify, this is not a “sugar-free” dish, but more correctly stated it is naturally sweetened with maple syrup…..
Author
Thanks! That is probably a better term. We mean to say that this is not full of processes sugar. I think I need a lesson in the correct terms ufda!
Okay, I am so excited to make this! I would LOVE to see more naturally sweetened recipes here! Great blog!
Thanks Natalie! We’re actually moving that direction, because we LOVE eating naturally sweetened foods.
This sounds amazing. When is the Greek yogurt supposed to be added?
Sorry about that! You add the yogurt with the eggs.
This sounds amazing! I am pinning this and will be giving it a try. Thanks for sharing.
Suzanne
Pieced Pastimes