recipe: squash cake with cream cheese frosting

[nerakrose]

this is not a potato post 👀

I was craving squash cake and I had several squashes in my fridge (bounty of the season), but I've never actually made a gluten free squash cake before. I'm not sure I've ever actually made squash cake before, but I'm positive that the last time I ate one was before I found out I was gluten intolerant, which is now 12 years ago.

If you're like me and like carrot cake but find it overwhelming (i.e. it's nice, but after two bites it's Too Much Of Everything), or even 'too autumny' for the season, squash cake may be for you! it uses different spices than a carrot cake so it feels lighter and is a bit more zingy as it also uses lemon zest.


150g brown sugar (white if you want a 'lighter' cake)
150g salted butter (or unsalted, but then remember to add salt)
3 eggs
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda*
1/5tsp xantham gum (omit if using a gf flour blend with xanthan gum)
1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon
1tsp ground cardamum
2tsp vanilla sugar (if using extract, 1tsp)
1tsp ground ginger
zest from 1 lemon
50g oat flour
100g plain white gf flour (i used Doves Farm)
1 squash/zucchini/courgette/whatever you call this in your area, shredded
150g walnuts, chopped (can be omitted)

cream cheese frosting:
as per your favourite recipe, but add 1tsp cardamom, vanilla measured by your heart, and zest from 1 lemon to the frosting.
I used a tub of Philadelphia plain (165g - is it just me or did these use to be 200g tubs??), bit of butter (eyeballed), icing sugar (by taste).

*if you're like me and realised too late you don't have any baking soda in the house, do 1 and half tspbaking powder instead. it worked out alright for me.

preheat oven to 180C fan 200C over/under heat.

cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. add egg one by one. (if using vanilla extract, add.) mix the dry ingredients and mix into the wet. add chopped walnuts and shredded squash and mix well. pour into square/rectangular pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes (test after 25 minutes, skewer should come out clean). let cool completely before covering with frosting. ENJOY.

i found out too late i only had 1 lemon so omitted this from the batter and put zest only in the frosting. turned out ok but would've liked to have this in the cake as well. next time!

batter should look like this:










bonus quick and dirty recipe in honour of potato month: the Leftovers & Why Do I Have So Many Squash In My Fridge Frittata

1 squash, shredded
1 large potato, shredded
3-4 eggs
a blob of sour cream
parmesan/similar hard, grated cheese (I used about half a cup)
1tsp powdered onion (or shred an onion if you have it)
2tbsp ground paprika
1tsp chilipowder
salt and pepper after your own heart

mix together, bake in the oven at 200C fan for about 20-30 minutes (tbh I lost track of time and don't know how long this cooked for). enjoy. makes 3 servings, this was my WFH lunch and dinner same day, and the 3rd serving went with me to the office the following day.

Comments

[sonia]

This looks yummy! I’m assuming that’s one fairly large zucchini squash? How big was it?

I love the “after your own heart” instruction. 🥰

[nerakrose]

standard size? it was from the supermarket. I didn't weigh it. similar in length to a bottle of 0.5litre of water, but thicker.

[sonia]

Thanks, that helps. They vary from small to huge at the farmers market here (California, US).

Moisture management

[jesse_the_k]

...can be tricky when working with wet summer squashes. Looks like you just shred and use it right away, no salting or pressing or squeezing required?

(Speaking of potatoes, I'm still trying to get the recipe right for zucchini latkes. Not there yet!)

Re: Moisture management

[nerakrose]

Not for the cake no, the point of putting squash in cake is extra moisture. (You wouldn’t squeeze the liquid out of carrots either for carrot cake…)

For the frittata I did squeeze the excess liquid out of both the potato and the squash.

[sunlit_stone]

Oooh, I love the cardamom/vanilla/lemon/ginger combo! And that frittata recipe looks delicious

[nerakrose]

it's a proper zingy combo! very fresh :) could probably be zingier with fresh ginger, but i've never tried that.