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Light, moist, and perfectly spiced, this brown sugar Butternut Squash Cake is a fluffy, dairy-free, egg-free fall treat everyone will love!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Every fall, I dive (head first) into an ever-growing collection of fresh and canned pumpkin recipes (24 easy vegan canned pumpkin recipes here), often touting butternut squash as a great substitute. But this winter squash also deserves some dessert limelight! Like pumpkin, butternut squash cake has heaps of natural sweetness (arguably even more than pumpkin) and moisture while still remaining fluffy and tender. Plus, this recipe is egg-free and dairy-free for everyone to enjoy.
This recipe is so easy to throw together, too, and uses just 10 ingredients, with fresh or canned squash puree. Whether you add a decadent layer of vegan cream cheese frosting, a simple dusting of powdered sugar, or enjoy it as is (perfect for breakfast!), this butternut squash dessert (also great at breakfast/brunch) is a crowd-pleasing treat.
Looking for more desserts perfect for fall? Try my sweet potato cookies, easy pumpkin pudding, and/or a simple cinnamon-spiced vegan apple crumble.
Ingredient Notes
Recipe Variations
- Orange zest: Add the zest from one orange for a subtle citrusy brightness.
- Coffee: Add 1-2 tbsp espresso powder for a butternut ‘latte’ flavor.
- Mix-ins: Add up to a cup of any of the below to this squash cake recipe.
- Dried fruit (like raisins, cranberries, chopped dates)
- Nuts/seeds (toasted pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds)
- Vegan chocolate chips (white, semi-sweet, or bitter-sweet for decadence)
- Toppings: Add decadence to this butternut squash cake recipe with:
- Powdered sugar
- Pumpkin spice glaze (or a maple glaze)
- Dairy-free cream cheese frosting
- Caramel, coffee, or cinnamon frosting
How to Make Butternut Squash Cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and lightly grease a 9-inch round baking pan. Then, in a large bowl, whisk the plant milk and apple cider vinegar until it thickens, like buttermilk. Add the oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract, and mix well until the sugar is almost fully dissolved.
Step 2: Then, mix in the butternut squash puree. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin spice. Add the dry ingredients to the wet one and mix until combined, but be careful not to over-mix the batter.
Step 3: Pour the butternut cake batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake for 25-30 minutes. Moist crumbs are fine but no wet batter. Remove the butternut squash cake from the oven and let it cool completely over a cooling rack before removing it from the pan. Optionally, frost, slice, and enjoy!
FAQs
To make enough squash puree for this butternut squash dessert recipe, either roast the butternut squash OR place 2 cups of cubed butternut squash in a saucepan covered with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until tender (time will vary based on the cube size).
Then, thoroughly drain and leave it to cool before pureeing with an immersion blender, blender, or food processor.
I haven’t tried, though it’s very likely you could sub the AP flour 1:1 with a gluten-free AP blend, like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s.
Yes, you can use an 8-inch square pan, which has the same capacity. A slightly larger pan would work, too, though the vegan cake will be thinner and may require less time to bake through. A 9×5-inch loaf pan would also work but requires a higher baking time to bake through.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Measure the flour correctly: To avoid ending up with dense bakes, first, fluff it in its bag, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level the top with the back of a knife.
- Avoid over-mixing: Over-mixing batter overworks the gluten in the flour and leads to dense, rubbery cakes. Mix until ‘just’ combined – a few small lumps are fine.
Storage Instructions
Store the cooled squash cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator (especially if frosted!) for 5-7 days.
You can also freeze the cake, whole or sliced (with parchment between the slices to avoid sticking), for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Butternut Squash Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup of plant-based milk (soy milk works best)
- 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
- ⅔ cup of neutral oil
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups of butternut squash puree
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly grease a 9-inch round baking pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar. Whisk until it thickens and becomes buttermilk.
- Add the oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix well until the sugar is almost fully dissolved. Add the butternut squash puree and mix until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin spice.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix well, but do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.
- Remove it from the oven and place it on a cooling rack to cool completely before removing from the pan.
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly: To avoid ending up with dense bakes, first, fluff it in its bag, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level the top with the back of a knife.
- Avoid over-mixing: Over-mixing batter overworks the gluten in the flour and leads to dense, rubbery cakes. Mix until ‘just’ combined – a few small lumps are fine.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
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