This easy squash cake, made with roasted butternut squash and lightly flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg is the perfect fall cake. Enjoy for breakfast along with your cup of coffee or tea!
How I love cooking with ever so versatile squash this time of year! It can be transformed into endless sweet or savory recipes such as risotto; crostata; stuffed with pasta or our favorite cookies.
I recently breaded and baked these butternut squash cutlets using the long, narrow end of the squash. And with the remaining lower, bulbous part of the squash (where the seeds are located), I roasted it, puréed it and created this incredibly easy, autumn inspired squash cake or ciambella alla zuccca flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg.
A ciambella, which is an Italian ring-shaped cake is often referred to as breakfast cake. Italians are known for enjoying sweets for breakfast dunked in their coffee.
Roast and purée your squash a day or two ahead and refrigerate so you’ll have it on hand for this easy, last minute bundt cake to enjoy with your coffee or tea any time of day!
Which types of squash can be used for squash cake?
I used butternut squash, one of the most commonly found squash varieties in grocery stores. Other varieties of winter squash that may be used include acorn, delicata, buttercup squash or even pumpkin. In a pinch, you may also use canned pumpkin purée!
List of Ingredients
- Butternut squash: halved, seeded and roasted
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Large eggs: at room temperature
- Olive oil
- Milk: non dairy options may be used
- Vanilla extract (not shown)
- Optional: powdered sugar for serving
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
For the squash
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Cut the squash in half, lengthwise. It does need to be peeled.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
- Place squash, flesh side down, on the prepared baking sheet and bake until soft, about 40 minutes.
- Scoop out 2 cups of squash and purée in a food processor or blender. Set aside.
- Reserve the remaining squash for another use such as soups.
Prepare the cake
- Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F and grease a-10 inch bundt pan with butter or cooking spray.
- In a large bowl combine the flour; baking powder; salt; cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs; sugar and olive oil until pale and frothy.
- Stir in the vanilla; squash purée and milk and stir until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Sift the dry ingredients over the bowl with the squash mixture. Use a spatula to stir until there are no visible traces of flour in the batter. The batter will be thick, this is normal.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let sit for 10 minutes before unmolding it.
- Let cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar (optional) and serving.
Recipe Notes
-Replace the butternut squash with acorn, delicata, buttercups squash or pumpkin.
-Vary the spices: try adding ginger, all-spice, or cloves.
-Stir up to 1 cup of chocolate chips into the batter.
Keep leftovers well wrapped, to prevent the cake from drying out, at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Wrap well and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
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Check out more easy Italian cake recipes!
- Nonna’s Sponge Cake
- Italian Marble Bundt Cake
- Sicilian Hazelnut Cake
- Blueberry lemon Ricotta Cake
- Pistachio Orange Polenta Cake
- Plum Almond Cake
- Italian Apple Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups squash purée from a roasted butternut, acorn, delicata squash or pumpkin- see roasting instructions below
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup olive oil
- 6 tbsp. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- powdered sugar for serving (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the squash
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Cut the squash in half, lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
- Place squash, flesh side down, on the prepared baking sheet and bake until soft, about 40 minutes.
- Let cool slightly. Scoop out 2 cups of squash, reserve any remaining squash for another recipe such as soup. Purée the roasted squash in a food processor or blender and set aside.
For the cake
- Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F and grease a -10 inch bundt pan with butter or cooking spray.
- In a large bowl combine the flour; baking powder; salt; cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs; sugar and olive oil until pale and frothy. Stir in the vanilla; squash purée and milk and stir until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Sift the dry ingredients over the bowl with the squash mixture. Use a spatula to stir until there are no visible traces of flour in the batter. The batter will be thick, this is normal.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let sit for 10 minutes before unmolding it onto a serving plate.
- Let cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar (optional) and serving.
Notes
-Vary the spices: try adding ginger, all-spice, or cloves.
-Stir up to 1 cup of chocolate chips into the batter. Storage Keep leftovers well wrapped, to prevent the cake from drying out, at room temperature for up to 5 days. To Freeze Wrap well and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
Hello Nadia,
I love the thought of this Squash cake so much! Do you think Almond flour could be subsistuted for the AP flour? Cuz I would love to make this:)
Thank you so much for all the yummy recipes and sentimental stories you post!!
Hello Joanne, I think that would be a great idea however I have not tried it myself. I would definitely use less almond flour than AP flour and for sure the texture would be a little more dense but I do enjoy the texture of almond flour cakes as well. If you give it a try please let me know how it turns out!
This looks sooo good! Definitely want to try with pumpkin and cloves. It seems so versatile too – I like the suggestion of chocolate chips! Maybe even raisins or craisins!
Hi Luanna, thank you for your comment! I agree you can make this recipe your own with different spices, and sure, why not raisins or craisins too. Hope you enjoy it!