Whether you use baby food jars, or your homemade puree, this butternut squash cake is tender, rich, and perfect for snacking.
When life gets busy, sometimes we forget to treat ourselves. Make ahead snacks like this butternut squash cake are a great way to have your cake and eat it too!
What makes this snack cake recipe so good? You get a dose of veggies, mixed with a bit of chocolatey goodness in every single bite. It’s kid approved, making it great for the whole family!
I kept this super easy by using baby food jars, but you could totally make your own butternut squash puree.
Just keep in mind that if you make your own it might contain more or less water than the puree I used, so adjust flour and/or cooking time accordingly. The finished batter should be thick but still pourable.
Ingredients for this butternut squash snack cake
- melted butter
- brown sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- homemade butternut squash puree (or you can use baby food jars)
- flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
- cinnamon
- semi sweet chocolate chips
How to make this butternut squash dessert
- Preheat oven and prepare your cake pan
- Whisk together butter and brown sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla, whisk until smooth, then fold in remaining ingredients
- Pour dough into prepared pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean
- Wrap tightly to store for up to 3 days
Does this taste more like a vegetable than a dessert?
Not at all. It’s on par with anything that is baked with pumpkin. The flavor is very subtle, and mixes well with the chocolate.
Tips for customizing your butternut squash cake:
- Sprinkle cooled cake with powdered sugar
- Spread cooled cake with chocolate frosting or cream cheese frosting
- Swap the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice
- Use a gluten-free flour blend to make it a gluten free cake
Other Butternut Squash Recipes You’ll Love
- Butternut Squash And Sage Pesto Grilled Cheese
- Butternut Squash Risotto With Kale
- Butternut Squash Pizza With Kale
- Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
This post was updated in January 2020 with new photos and more helpful information about the recipe.
Butternut Squash Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups butternut squash puree, (or 3 {4 ounce} jars squash baby food)
- 2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth and thick. Fold in squash puree. Add flour, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon and fold with a spatula until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 24-27 minutes or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs attached. Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting. Cake will last three days well wrapped at room temperature.
Notes
Tips for customizing your butternut squash cake:
- Sprinkle cooled cake with powdered sugar
- Spread cooled cake with chocolate frosting or cream cheese frosting
- Swap the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice
- Use a gluten-free flour blend to make it a gluten free cake
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
I love baking with veggies so I’m all about this snack cake! Looks great!
Lindsay Moe says
Thanks Pamela!
cheri says
Wow! very clever. delicious looking snack cake.
Lindsay Moe says
Thanks Cheri!
Anna @ Garnish with Lemon says
Pretty sure this would please even my picky 8 year old (the chocolate chips certainly sway the decision). Love!
Lindsay Moe says
Chocolate makes everything palatable, doesn’t it?
Heide M. says
What a clever idea of using squash.
Lindsay Moe says
Thanks Heide!
Erika says
Hi, how many servings does this make?
Chris says
I made this substituting a mashed banana for the butter and using a flax egg to make it vegan. Outstanding!
Lindsay Moe says
What a great swap! Thanks for sharing!
Mandy says
I made this substituting unsweetened applesauce for the butter. Next time I may add more cinnamon. Super tasty and so simple to make!
Sally says
Made this with Carmel chips and dusted with sea salt before baking. So good!
Nicola says
How do you think using a different squash would work? I’m not talking about pumpkin or other winter squash, but my surprise –the seedlings just said zucchini–Golden Zucchini squash. (We don’t have the stereotypical zuke overload you hear about, but enough more at the same time that I now need to get creative.) First, can zucchini be pureed like butternut? And/or if I shredded it like in zucchini loaf bread, what tweaks would I have to make (say, liquid: flour changes) so that the texture would stay the same? I just haven’t acquired enough knowledge –chemistry or witchery– to be “that” experimental baker.
Lindsay Moe says
I do not think zucchini would work in this recipe. It doesn’t puree like butternut squash does, it would just turn to water. Trying to shred it and tweak the recipe would just be coming up with another recipe entirely, so you’d be better off finding a recipe developed specifically for zucchini. I would recommend trying my chocolate zucchini muffins! https://theliveinkitchen.com/vegan-chocolate-zucchini-muffins/