RecipesBaking And Sweets

Spiced butternut squash cake with pecans and orange recipe

This beautifully spiced cake is packed with naturally sweet butternut squash and soaked with a spiced syrup, ensuring the cake won’t dry out and adding even more flavour.

Spiced butternut squash cake with pecans and orange recipe
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Ingredients

For the cake
  • 300g self-raising flour
  • 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 300g light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp Steenbergs mixed spice
  • 2 tsp Steenbergs cinnamon powder
  • 1 tsp Steenbergs ground cardamom
  • 175g butternut squash, peeled and coarsely grated
  • 150g pecans, roughly chopped
  • 2 oranges, zested plus extra to garnish
  • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 200g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
  • a pinch sea salt
For the spiced syrup
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

This beautifully spiced cake is packed with naturally sweet butternut squash and soaked with a spiced syrup, ensuring the cake won’t dry out and adding even more flavour. 

Serves 12

Prep time: 15 mins    Cook time: 40 mins

Method

01
Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C. Grease and line a 20 x 30cm cake tin with baking paper. 
02
In a large bowl combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, brown sugar, mixed spice, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir through the grated butternut, 100g of the pecans (reserving the remaining 50g to garnish), orange zest and juice, melted butter and eggs with a pinch of salt. Stir everything together until evenly combined then transfer to the lined tin.
03
Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 mins, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 
04
Meanwhile, put all the ingredients for the syrup in a medium saucepan with 150ml water over medium low heat until the sugar has dissolved, 3-4 minutes. Once dissolved, bring to a boil over medium high heat and simmer until thickened and syrupy, 4-5 mins. Set aside to cool slightly. 
05
Once the cake is cooked, prick all over with a skewer then pour the syrup all over it while still warm. Scatter over the remaining pecans and orange zest if you like. Leave to cool.