Photo Credit
Becky Luigart-Stayner
Yield
Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Category
Course
Occasions
Preparation Method
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Watch out, carrot cake! This spongy Butternut Squash Spice Cake won first prize in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Guide Recipe Contest. Try it!
Cooked puréed squash adds rich flavor and plenty of moisture to this spiced, delicious cake. If you don’t have all the spices, it’s flexible and you can mix up the spices.
Serve as a dessert, a snack, or even as a coffee cake for breakfast.
The winning prize goes to Darlene Bueger from Peoria, Arizona.
Cake
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs separated plus 5 egg whites, room temperature
1 cup, cooked, puréed butternut squash
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Get out a 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom.
In a bowl, combine flour, ¾ cup sugar, spices, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks and squash. Add squash mixture to flour mixture and stir to blend.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, or until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
Using a rubber spatula, fold ¼ of egg white mixture into squash mixture, just until no streaks remain. Repeat with remaining egg white mixture.
Pour batter into tube pan.
Bake for 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in bottom comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes, then invert pan onto narrow-necked bottle. Allow to hang upside down until completely cooled.
Invert cake and transfer to cake plate to be frosted.
Frosting
Ingredients
1 cup heavy whipping cream
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
Instructions
In a bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form.
In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and spices.
Using a rubber spatula, fold whipped cream into cream cheese until combined.
Frost sides and top of cake. Sprinkle with toasted pecans.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Drizzle cake with caramel ice cream topping.
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Does the recioe mean a total of 9 egg whites are needed (ie, the 4 from the separated eggs plus 5 more), or a total of 5 egg whites are needed (ie, including the 4 whites from the separated eggs)?
Hi, Barbara. For this recipe you will need a total of 9 egg whites. We hope you enjoy it!
I don't have a tube pan. Does this recipe convert well to cupcakes? (Obviously baking time reduced.)
Hi, Erin. If you don’t have a tube pan, you could use a bundt pan. The resulting cake is spongy, think Angel Food Cake, and we’re not sure that would make a good cupcake. But give it a try if you like. We love to experiment in the kitchen!
I used the bundt pan, but before I filled it, I scooped out just enough to make one cupcake. I baked it alongside the cake for 20 minutes, and it came out spongy, delicious and so cute! I'd attach a photo if I could. It had a nice flat top and the ridges on the side from the cupcake paper, so I just frosted the top and sprinkled the nuts and it made a perfect portion. Thanks for the recipe!
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