Butternut Squash-Apple Cake With Ginger Streusel

2.5 from 2 ratings

With this recipe I decided to reconnect with the pure satisfaction of baking a beautiful old-fashioned cake — but with a modern twist. So I created a butternut squash and apple teacake with a surprising but delicious candied ginger and pine-nut streusel. Made without butter or too much sugar, this cake is light and moist without being rich.

Servings

servings

Ingredients

2 ounce australian crystallized ginger cubes (1/3 cup)
3 tablespoon turbinado sugar
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup turbinado sugar
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup sunflower oil
3 large eggs, preferably organic
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 cup butternut squash purée
1 medium-sized mcintosh apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup golden raisins, preferably organic
butter, for the cake pan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the ginger, sugar, and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times until all ingredients are chopped finely. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir well and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, vanilla extract, orange zest, and butternut squash purée until well blended.
Stir the apple pieces and raisins into the flour mixture until well blended. Add the squash mixture to the dry ingredients and, using a wooden spoon, mix until just moistened.
Butter a nonstick 9-inch round cake pan. Spoon the batter into the cake pan. Sprinkle with the streusel topping. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, for 45-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before unmolding. Serve at room temperature.