This gorgeous Butternut Squash Olive Oil Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze is packed full of wintry spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. (Jump directly to the recipe.)
This post was sponsored by the Lindsay Olives. I was compensated for this post and for developing the recipe. However, all opinions below are completely my own and not endorsed by Lindsay Olives.
I joke with my partner AJ that once October 1st comes around, it’s a quick slide into New Years. And here we are, with Christmas just around the corner and I’m caught trying to figure out what to do for our Christmas dinner. Usually I travel back to the Midwest to visit AJ’s family. But we haven’t actually done Christmas on Christmas day with my family in nearly a decade, so this year we opted to celebrate Christmas here in San Francisco. And that meant, AJ and I would be making Christmas dinner.
I hadn’t realized Christmas was so close until I look at the calendar and had that “uh-oh” moment. I quickly ordered a turkey (we’re Christmas turkey folks not Christmas ham folks) from my local grocery store and then started brainstorming menu. It had to be traditional, but not too similar to Thanksgiving. Obviously there would be some overlap, with the turkey, stuffing and gravy. Most likely there would be some version of mashed potatoes and I’ll probably make rolls. But other things are up in the air. Carrots? Brussel sprouts? And what to make for dessert? Thanksgiving has pumpkin pie but Christmas doesn’t quite have the same signature dessert.
So, on a trip to the grocery store, my eyes landed on some butternut squash on sale. I love winter squashes in desserts and I think they aren’t used enough. I knew immediately what I was going to make with it, a butternut squash olive oil bundt cake with brown sugar glaze. The Lindsay Buttery California Olive Oil goes so well with the earthy butternut squash and wintery spices. I may not know what I’m making for most of my Christmas dinner, but I now know what the dessert is.
Butternut Squash Olive Oil Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
Ingredients
Butternut squash puree
- 1 small butternut squash about 2 1/2 lbs
- 2 tablespoons Lindsay Buttery California Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Cake batter
- 1 cup white granulated sugar 200 g
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar 110 g
- 1 cup Lindsay Buttery California Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 420 g
- 2 cups butternut squash puree 540 g
Brown sugar glaze
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar 110 g
- 1 tablespoon dark corn syrup or 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Make the butternut squash puree by preheating the oven to 400°F and lining a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop the seeds out with a spoon or melon baller (see headnote).
- Drizzle half the Lindsay Buttery California Extra Virgin Oil over the cut side of the butternut squash. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the aluminum foil. Place the butternut squash flat side down on the baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour until the flesh of the squash is soft. Let cool.
- Once the squash is cool, scoop the flesh out of the skin with a regular spoon and place in a food processor or blender. Process until a smooth puree forms. Measure out 2 cups and reserve the rest for another purpose.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Drizzle a little Lindsay Buttery California Extra Virgin Oil inside a 10-cup bundt pan. Brush the pan all over, making sure to coat the entire pan with the oil.
- Dust with all-purpose flour, making sure to knock out any excess flour. The oil will make the flour stick. If there are any empty spot, brush a little more olive oil over that spot and dust again.
- Make the batter by placing both sugars, olive oil, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until blended. Add the eggs, one a time, making sure to mix each egg into the batter until it’s incorporated, before adding the next one.
- Add 1 cup of the flour and mix to incorporate. Add 1 cup of the butternut squash puree and mix to incorporate. Repeat with the remaining flour and puree, alternating with each and ending with the flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake in the oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Once done, let the cake rest in the pan on a wire rack, for 30 to 45 minutes or until the pan is just cool enough to handle, but still warm to the touch. Unmold on a wire rack and let cool completely.
- Once the cake is cooled completely, place all the glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and let the glaze cook uncovered for 15 to 17 minutes. The glaze should thicken up and be the consistency of turkey gravy. Turn the heat off and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cinnamon sticks and spoon the glaze over the cake letting it drizzle down over the sides.
Diane Wilkins says
Love this idea, Irvin! Butternut squash in a cake? Just genius! I so look forward to these eat seasonal guides.
Meghan says
Thanks for this recipe! It turned out great! Nice spice flavor with a moist texture reminiscent of zucchini or banana bread. I modified the recipe slightly and used regular vegetable oil (because I didn’t have enough olive oil), and I did not make the glaze because I was making it for my 3 and 4 year old and they would just make a mess with it haha. I also had to bake it a lot longer due to my elevation here. I baked it for 55 minutes initially, then kept baking and checking it with a toothpick at ten minute intervals until it came out clean. The final cook time for me was 85 minutes. I baked it in a stoneware bundt cake pan and the cake raised a lot so I cut the bottom before putting it on the stand.
The final product was loved by the whole family, and I finally used the butternut squash I didnt end up roasting over the holidays. Win win!
Next time I make this I think I will bake it in a couple loaf pans. I think it would be great sliced and toasted with some butter or cream cheese on it.
Thanks!
Keisha Taylor says
I just did it everyone likes it, thank you so much got so many compliments on it today
Shannon Parrott says
Could I make this with pumpkin purée instead?!
Irvin says
yes! Same amount of pumpkin puree will work in place of the butternut squash.
Cathy says
Can this recipe be made with frozen, cubed, Butternut Squash?
msmoto says
Hi – -just made this w. fresh butternut, but used a cream cheese icing that my family loves!
Please note only needed to bake for 60 mins in a metal bundt pan.