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 is basically a squash spice cake with cream cheese frosting, let’s be honest.
This Butternut Squash cake and frostingusesmaple 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 and use the leftover squash from other recipes but, I often will take shortcuts to make this quick and easy…
The easiest way to use butternut squash is to get it pre-cut in bags from your grocery store (found in the produce section). 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)
This cake and the frosting are naturally sweetened, easy to make, and delicious! A recipe you’ll make again and again!
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!
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
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!
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
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!
Greta Anderson says
Did you intentionally leave the cooking time? I cannot find it.
Nellie says
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!
Teresa says
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.
Nellie says
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
Siddiqi Ray says
What gave the frosting in the photo a spicy look? The recipe above for frosting makes it all white…
Nellie says
A sprinkle of cinnamon and cloves. Totally optional ;)
Desmom says
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!)
Desmom says
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!
Nellie says
What a fantastic idea!! I love this recipe and never thought to do anything beyond cupcakes and cakes. So clever and smart!
Anonymous says
If I have an whole butternut squash should I steam it or can I roast it?
Nellie says
Roast it! Cut it in half and roast it. Easy peasy!
julie says
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
Nellie says
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!