Winter Squash Spice Cake

 Servings: 9 servings

Yield: 1 cake

1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed ( I used 1/2 cup)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup mashed roasted winter squash, I used spaghetti squash

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, to add depth, optional

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat an oven to 325 F. Butter and dust with some flour a baking pan and set it aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy looking, about 2 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. This step builds the structure of the cake, so don't skip it and don't rush it.

Stir in the vanilla and then the squash.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add to the squash mixture and stir just until completely combined. Add buttermilk. To keep the cake tender, be careful not to overmix at this point, it will develop the gluten in the flour and toughen the cake. It will be a thick batter.

Pour the batter into the buttered pan. Bake cake for about 25 minutes and raise the temperature to 350 F. Continue baking for more 25-30 minutes until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool at least 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip from Chabad how to cook a squash: Cut the quash in several extra-large pieces. Remove the seeds. Place the pieces in a large pot with about 2 inches of water, and cover the pot. Bring this to a boil over a high flame, reduce the flame, and cook them for 30 minutes, until the squash is fork-tender. Drain the hot water and let squash to cool.

Idea for the recipes comes from The spruce eats