WAIT! Before you jump to the recipe for this butternut squash cake be sure to check out the tips for cooking with butternut squash and how you can make this cake even if you don’t have a whole squash (it’s easier, anyways!)
This homemade cake recipe will surprise you with its sweet flavor and healthy ingredients. This butternut squash cake recipe is chock full of nutritious squash, natural sweeteners, and delicious flavor. You’ll be making this lovely cake with naturally sweetened cream cheese frosting on a regular basis for your family!
It is basically a squash spice cake with cream cheese frosting, let’s be honest. But a butternut squash dessert is sooo much cooler than an everyday spice cake, amiright.
This Butternut cake recipe and frostingusesmaple syrup to sweeten it. Only maple syrup. And, if you are lucky enough to have a local supply (like we are)…you are excited right about now, aren’t you! You understand the amazingness that means! Recipes using natural sweeteners are my favorite, for sure!
Be warned: if you are interested in Pinterest/Instagram perfect cakes and desserts you can move right along from this recipe. This recipe is about crazy tasty, make your belly happy, and feel like home kind of food.
Okay, most of our recipes aren’t built for pretty. But this one, especially. But it’s so darn good.
Do I have to use freshly roasted Butternut Squash?
No, for sure not. It’s fairly easy to roast up a squash and use the leftover butternut squash from other recipes but, I often will take shortcuts to make this quick and easy…
The easiest way to use butternut squash is to get it pre-cut in bags from your grocery store (found in the produce section). If you don’t have access to that and don’t want to go through the trouble of preparing a butternut squash, you can use canned pumpkin puree instead. Just make sure you use pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie puree. Pumpkin pie puree already has a bunch of spices and sweeteners added to it, so your butternut squash cake will taste wonky.
Another great trick… the baby food aisle. It sounds strange but you can get already pureed butternut squash in the baby food section. So, if you are looking to save some time, shop the baby section.
Quick trick for this butternut squash cake: line your pan with parchment paper, spray and flour the parchment paper, and then when the cake is done pick up the paper edges, flip it over (be sure to let it cool a couple of minutes!), and voila!…no dishes!
Maple Syrup Cream Cheese Frosting
The frosting for this cake is also naturally-sweetened and utterly divine. You’ll be eating it by the spoonful! There have been a few readers that commented and let us know that it works great to sub out honey for the maple syrup, if you prefer. If you do so, decrease the amount of honey by half and then add it back as needed.
Cake for YOU. Cake for YOU. And cake for YOU.
This butternut cake recipe is a great way to introduce veggies to your kids in a new way! Ask them if they can taste the squash in the cake? We bet they will say no!
This squash cake is delicious. Not, oh my gosh call Mom delicious. (that would be my homemade chocolate cake recipe) But, really, really good. Truly! The kind of cake you could make every single day and not feel one bit bad about. The kind of cake you make for company. Or for Sunday brunch. Or because you had a bad day. It is just that versatile, easy, and delicious.
Janel Hutton finished Professional Cooking Fundamentals coursework in Sur La Table Culinary Institute, has been featured on many websites, magazines, and brands including Better Homes and Gardens, Woman's Day, Cottages and Bungalows, Country Living, Reader's Digest, she was a Stillwater Gazette Columnist, taught classes for Pinners Conference, and much more...
AUTHOR OF:
Spices, Sauces, & Condiments, Slow Cooker Essentials, and Creative Gift Ideas: 52 Unique Gift Sets
64 thoughts on “Butternut Squash Cake Recipe (naturally sweetened)”
Celie B.
This is outrageously delicious!! I cut back on the nutmeg because it is such a strong flavor, but the cake can definitely take more than I used. I did add 1/2 t. of ginger because I’m a huge fan. Other than that I made the cake exactly as written. Fabulous! I’ve bookmarked the page and will be making it often. I always have a lot of butternut squash on hand (I buy a lot when they’re on sale and they keep in my garage). Such an easy cake to make for such a tremendous outcome. Thank you for sharing!
Nellie
I love those additions and might have to try that myself ;). Too bad about the frosting! But, it’s always good to try new things. That’s how we learn.
Alicja bo
I made it with more spice and added some currants, walnuts and orange zest. My frosting failed, I wanted to be creative and added butter, orange zest and vanilla extract and it curdled. My own doing with experimenting too much. Great recipe that works and is delicious 😋 thank you for posting :)
Zahra Al Shehab
Amazing and super yummy . It is my favorite to bake . Fun to prepare as it is like silky mix and yummy to eat and healthy.
Thank you so much for sharing
Ashley
I cannot properly express how phenomenal this cake is! I made it with oat flour and extra cinnamon, and it came out so fluffy, moist, and tender, everything a cake should be. My brother and I finished it in a few days, and he never enjoys my healthier baking, so this is a big win!
Nellie
Actually, no. But always add in what you prefer. Nutmeg is a strong flavor that might not be your thing. Go ahead and halfsies that amount.
NW Mom
3/4 T of nutmeg is a crazy huge amount? Is this a mistake?
Nellie
Sometimes I add a bit more leavening when I sub out almond flour in cakes to help give it a bit more rising power. This is a pretty heavy cake and more like a gingerbread cake texture than a traditional cake.
Robin B
I have been using almond flour/meal for about half the flour in cake recipes- but this only works if there are enough eggs for a rise. That technique would work for this cake. This cake sounds much like carrot cake, which is pretty substantial too and also uses oil. Many thanks for this idea.
Nellie
So glad to hear it!
Nellie
Totally understood :)
Nellie
Hoooraaaayyyy!! I love that these kind of recipes can win even at birthday parties. And the ginger and cardamom addition is genius. I’m going to copy that!
M
I used gluten free flour, and it worked very well
Mel
*orange cake as in the orange-coloured butternut cake😂
Mel
I baked this for my son’s first birthday today and it was magic! Added some ginger and cardomom. And then decorated it with fresh slices of mango, gooseberries and lemon-rind. (I baked a chocolate cake as a backup incase someone didnt like the butternut, but the orange cake won! A winner, hardly any left. Gonna have to bake another one. Thanks for posting this recipe. I love the natural healthy ingredients. I think it was the most relaxing kids birthday party I’ve ever experienced. Kids are actually so nice when they are not on a crazy sugar high!
Amazing!
Nellie
I’ve never tried it but I’m sure it would work.
Susan
I’m excited to be makin this recipe. Can i use gluten free flour and lactose free yoghurt instead? Thank you
Nellie
You know, I’ve never tried it. I think it needs to be cooked and pureed for the consistency to be correct. But, if you do try it…let me know how it goes!
sunita
can raw grated butternut squash be used?
Nellie
What a great question! I imagine so. Although I am not sure if that would change the flavor.
Sue
The recipe looks great! Could you substitute local dandelion honey instead?
Nellie
I’m sure they could. I never have and can’t say with certainty how many to add. I would try 1/3 cup and see what you think of that.
Audrey K Brinkley
Can raisins be added to the cake and if so, how much? Thanks.
Nellie
A sprinkle of cinnamon and cloves. Totally optional ;)
Siddiqi Ray
What gave the frosting in the photo a spicy look? The recipe above for frosting makes it all white…
Nellie
Gah!! The magical world of internet. Where things change and move. If you look at the very top of the recipe it shows cook time. IT’s small and hard to find. Totally annoying, that way. But, for this recipe we recommend 40 minutes. I would check at 30 and see what you have and probably go another 10. Good luck! This is so tasty!
Greta Anderson
Did you intentionally leave the cooking time? I cannot find it.
Nellie
Oh no!! We updated our recipe
System and it must have messed with some of the recipes. Here it is…
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese at rom temp
4 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Teresa
What is the recipe for the frosting? Can I use yogurt with cream cheese for the frosting THanks, I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Nellie
What a fantastic idea!! I love this recipe and never thought to do anything beyond cupcakes and cakes. So clever and smart!
Desmom
P.S. I didn’t use icing, or anything extra. It didn’t need it! Very moist, perfect consistency (not too dense), and wonderful leftover! We just ate it like bread!
Desmom
I made this exactly as directed except for one thing: rather than baking, I poured the batter into my waffle iron! OMG! DELICIOUS! Fast, easy, and perfect every time! I have a round Oster Belgian waffle maker. Set it on low and cooked it for a total of 3 minutes. Made exactly 4 waffles using 1 cup of batter per waffle. Will be doing this again! (Possibly tomorrow! Haha!)
Nellie
Roast it! Cut it in half and roast it. Easy peasy!
Anonymous
If I have an whole butternut squash should I steam it or can I roast it?
Nellie
Thank you!!! I’ve changed that. One of my greatest challenges is grammar. When I got into this business it was for creating and sharing and I completely underestimated the writing part. Thanks for the help!
julie
Another great trick… the baby food aisle. I know, it sounds strange but you can already pureed butternut squash in the baby food section. So, if you are looking to save some time, shop the baby section
In above paragraph you forgot a word. : GET between the words can and already. Or between already and pureed
Nellie
Dessert time just got an upgrade!
Bethany @ Athletic Avocado
This cake looks so good! I love all the wholesome ingredients used here! This means I can have two slices ;)
Nellie
Yes, it does mean cup. I should go in and clarify that so it is more clear. Thanks for asking!
Lee
What does 2/3 c. Mean for olive oil. Do you mean “cup”. I just want to be sure since you wrote cup for the other ingredients but just “c” for olive oil and maple syrup. Thank you!
Heather Mason @Nutty Nutrition
This cake does look delicious. I know you made the disclaimer that it contains natural sugar in the first paragraph, but you went on to call it sugar-free many other times. Cup per cup, maple syrup has more sugar in it than white sugar does. 3/4 cup of maple syrup has 160 grams of sugar in it, 3/4 cup of white sugar has 150 grams of sugar in it. There is very little scientific evidence that maple syrup is healthier than white sugar.
the Bellie
Thanks, Faith! The combo really does work!
Faith (An Edible Mosaic)
This sounds incredible! I love the butternut + maple combo and I bet it’s lovely in a cake.
the Bellie
Thanks Olya!!! We love to hear the ways people use our recipes, and to hear that others like them as much as we do! It’s also great to hear that your substitutes worked out well; we might have to try ours that way, too!!!
Olya
I made this cake recently and it was superb. I used sifted whole wheat flour only because it’s the only one I had on hand, and it made the cake more dense – kind of like a pound cake. It made it even better than expected. My husband could not believe how delicious this was and that there was no added sugar. I will definitely make it again. Amazing recipe! I also used honey instead of maple syrup in the cake. I really liked the way it came out. And I substituted honey in the frosting for the maple syrup. It was amazing. One of the best cakes I’ve made. Thanks!
the Bellie
Thanks for letting us know, Kim!
Kim
I ran it in WW recipe builder with low fat plain greek yogurt and full fat cream cheese, the total recipe points were 111. If you plit the cake into 10 servings, each serving is 11 points.
the Bellie
This was a 9 inch circle pan. And thanks! It really is good!
the Bellie
We haven’t tried it…but you should! Let us know if it works out…and if doesn’t, blame us :)
the Bellie
Sorry, we don’t!
the Bellie
Glad you liked it! We’re starting to get the feeling our oven might cook a bit hot, so it was wise to just check on it.
Yvonne Ronan
What size pan did you use? The cake looks delicious.
Sher
So I tried this…only thing…unfortunately 45 mins was not long enough..even though the tester came out pretty dry..should have gone with my instincts and kept it in the oven longer…the centre was not cooked..Thank heavens I’m not on Masterchef…. The outer edge of the cake is good, very moist and the cream cheese frosting is lovely. I think I will make cupcakes next time for individual servings…
Nellie
Thanks Jane! Yes, and those people would be wise to try a substitute like almond or coconut flour. However, we wrote this recipe for the many of our readers that are avoiding processed sugars and not necessarily diabetic diets. We’ve actually been getting a good lesson in the difference between sugar free for “clean eating” diets and diabetic diets. So interesting!
Jane
Actually, all of those worried about maple syrup (which has a low glycemic index) should be more worried about the flour, which immediately turns to glucose.
Anonymous
Do you know how many weight watchers points it would be
Natasha
This loils delish. Can I make it with acorn squash instead?
Nellie
Thanks! That is probably a better term. We mean to say that this is not full of processes sugar. I think I need a lesson in the correct terms ufda!
Letha Drury
Just to clarify, this is not a “sugar-free” dish, but more correctly stated it is naturally sweetened with maple syrup…..
the Bellie
Thanks Natalie! We’re actually moving that direction, because we LOVE eating naturally sweetened foods.
Natalie
Okay, I am so excited to make this! I would LOVE to see more naturally sweetened recipes here! Great blog!
the Bellie
Sorry about that! You add the yogurt with the eggs.
Rachel
This sounds amazing. When is the Greek yogurt supposed to be added?
Suzanne
This sounds amazing! I am pinning this and will be giving it a try. Thanks for sharing.
Suzanne
Pieced Pastimes
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This is outrageously delicious!! I cut back on the nutmeg because it is such a strong flavor, but the cake can definitely take more than I used. I did add 1/2 t. of ginger because I’m a huge fan. Other than that I made the cake exactly as written. Fabulous! I’ve bookmarked the page and will be making it often. I always have a lot of butternut squash on hand (I buy a lot when they’re on sale and they keep in my garage). Such an easy cake to make for such a tremendous outcome. Thank you for sharing!
I love those additions and might have to try that myself ;). Too bad about the frosting! But, it’s always good to try new things. That’s how we learn.
I made it with more spice and added some currants, walnuts and orange zest. My frosting failed, I wanted to be creative and added butter, orange zest and vanilla extract and it curdled. My own doing with experimenting too much. Great recipe that works and is delicious 😋 thank you for posting :)
Amazing and super yummy . It is my favorite to bake . Fun to prepare as it is like silky mix and yummy to eat and healthy.
Thank you so much for sharing
I cannot properly express how phenomenal this cake is! I made it with oat flour and extra cinnamon, and it came out so fluffy, moist, and tender, everything a cake should be. My brother and I finished it in a few days, and he never enjoys my healthier baking, so this is a big win!
Actually, no. But always add in what you prefer. Nutmeg is a strong flavor that might not be your thing. Go ahead and halfsies that amount.
3/4 T of nutmeg is a crazy huge amount? Is this a mistake?
Sometimes I add a bit more leavening when I sub out almond flour in cakes to help give it a bit more rising power. This is a pretty heavy cake and more like a gingerbread cake texture than a traditional cake.
I have been using almond flour/meal for about half the flour in cake recipes- but this only works if there are enough eggs for a rise. That technique would work for this cake. This cake sounds much like carrot cake, which is pretty substantial too and also uses oil. Many thanks for this idea.
So glad to hear it!
Totally understood :)
Hoooraaaayyyy!! I love that these kind of recipes can win even at birthday parties. And the ginger and cardamom addition is genius. I’m going to copy that!
I used gluten free flour, and it worked very well
*orange cake as in the orange-coloured butternut cake😂
I baked this for my son’s first birthday today and it was magic! Added some ginger and cardomom. And then decorated it with fresh slices of mango, gooseberries and lemon-rind. (I baked a chocolate cake as a backup incase someone didnt like the butternut, but the orange cake won! A winner, hardly any left. Gonna have to bake another one. Thanks for posting this recipe. I love the natural healthy ingredients. I think it was the most relaxing kids birthday party I’ve ever experienced. Kids are actually so nice when they are not on a crazy sugar high!
Amazing!
I’ve never tried it but I’m sure it would work.
I’m excited to be makin this recipe. Can i use gluten free flour and lactose free yoghurt instead? Thank you
You know, I’ve never tried it. I think it needs to be cooked and pureed for the consistency to be correct. But, if you do try it…let me know how it goes!
can raw grated butternut squash be used?
What a great question! I imagine so. Although I am not sure if that would change the flavor.
The recipe looks great! Could you substitute local dandelion honey instead?
I’m sure they could. I never have and can’t say with certainty how many to add. I would try 1/3 cup and see what you think of that.
Can raisins be added to the cake and if so, how much? Thanks.
A sprinkle of cinnamon and cloves. Totally optional ;)
What gave the frosting in the photo a spicy look? The recipe above for frosting makes it all white…
Gah!! The magical world of internet. Where things change and move. If you look at the very top of the recipe it shows cook time. IT’s small and hard to find. Totally annoying, that way. But, for this recipe we recommend 40 minutes. I would check at 30 and see what you have and probably go another 10. Good luck! This is so tasty!
Did you intentionally leave the cooking time? I cannot find it.
Oh no!! We updated our recipe
System and it must have messed with some of the recipes. Here it is…
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese at rom temp
4 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
What is the recipe for the frosting? Can I use yogurt with cream cheese for the frosting THanks, I can’t wait to try this recipe.
What a fantastic idea!! I love this recipe and never thought to do anything beyond cupcakes and cakes. So clever and smart!
P.S. I didn’t use icing, or anything extra. It didn’t need it! Very moist, perfect consistency (not too dense), and wonderful leftover! We just ate it like bread!
I made this exactly as directed except for one thing: rather than baking, I poured the batter into my waffle iron! OMG! DELICIOUS! Fast, easy, and perfect every time! I have a round Oster Belgian waffle maker. Set it on low and cooked it for a total of 3 minutes. Made exactly 4 waffles using 1 cup of batter per waffle. Will be doing this again! (Possibly tomorrow! Haha!)
Roast it! Cut it in half and roast it. Easy peasy!
If I have an whole butternut squash should I steam it or can I roast it?
Thank you!!! I’ve changed that. One of my greatest challenges is grammar. When I got into this business it was for creating and sharing and I completely underestimated the writing part. Thanks for the help!
Another great trick… the baby food aisle. I know, it sounds strange but you can already pureed butternut squash in the baby food section. So, if you are looking to save some time, shop the baby section
In above paragraph you forgot a word. : GET between the words can and already. Or between already and pureed
Dessert time just got an upgrade!
This cake looks so good! I love all the wholesome ingredients used here! This means I can have two slices ;)
Yes, it does mean cup. I should go in and clarify that so it is more clear. Thanks for asking!
What does 2/3 c. Mean for olive oil. Do you mean “cup”. I just want to be sure since you wrote cup for the other ingredients but just “c” for olive oil and maple syrup. Thank you!
This cake does look delicious. I know you made the disclaimer that it contains natural sugar in the first paragraph, but you went on to call it sugar-free many other times. Cup per cup, maple syrup has more sugar in it than white sugar does. 3/4 cup of maple syrup has 160 grams of sugar in it, 3/4 cup of white sugar has 150 grams of sugar in it. There is very little scientific evidence that maple syrup is healthier than white sugar.
Thanks, Faith! The combo really does work!
This sounds incredible! I love the butternut + maple combo and I bet it’s lovely in a cake.
Thanks Olya!!! We love to hear the ways people use our recipes, and to hear that others like them as much as we do! It’s also great to hear that your substitutes worked out well; we might have to try ours that way, too!!!
I made this cake recently and it was superb. I used sifted whole wheat flour only because it’s the only one I had on hand, and it made the cake more dense – kind of like a pound cake. It made it even better than expected. My husband could not believe how delicious this was and that there was no added sugar. I will definitely make it again. Amazing recipe! I also used honey instead of maple syrup in the cake. I really liked the way it came out. And I substituted honey in the frosting for the maple syrup. It was amazing. One of the best cakes I’ve made. Thanks!
Thanks for letting us know, Kim!
I ran it in WW recipe builder with low fat plain greek yogurt and full fat cream cheese, the total recipe points were 111. If you plit the cake into 10 servings, each serving is 11 points.
This was a 9 inch circle pan. And thanks! It really is good!
We haven’t tried it…but you should! Let us know if it works out…and if doesn’t, blame us :)
Sorry, we don’t!
Glad you liked it! We’re starting to get the feeling our oven might cook a bit hot, so it was wise to just check on it.
What size pan did you use? The cake looks delicious.
So I tried this…only thing…unfortunately 45 mins was not long enough..even though the tester came out pretty dry..should have gone with my instincts and kept it in the oven longer…the centre was not cooked..Thank heavens I’m not on Masterchef…. The outer edge of the cake is good, very moist and the cream cheese frosting is lovely. I think I will make cupcakes next time for individual servings…
Thanks Jane! Yes, and those people would be wise to try a substitute like almond or coconut flour. However, we wrote this recipe for the many of our readers that are avoiding processed sugars and not necessarily diabetic diets. We’ve actually been getting a good lesson in the difference between sugar free for “clean eating” diets and diabetic diets. So interesting!
Actually, all of those worried about maple syrup (which has a low glycemic index) should be more worried about the flour, which immediately turns to glucose.
Do you know how many weight watchers points it would be
This loils delish. Can I make it with acorn squash instead?
Thanks! That is probably a better term. We mean to say that this is not full of processes sugar. I think I need a lesson in the correct terms ufda!
Just to clarify, this is not a “sugar-free” dish, but more correctly stated it is naturally sweetened with maple syrup…..
Thanks Natalie! We’re actually moving that direction, because we LOVE eating naturally sweetened foods.
Okay, I am so excited to make this! I would LOVE to see more naturally sweetened recipes here! Great blog!
Sorry about that! You add the yogurt with the eggs.
This sounds amazing. When is the Greek yogurt supposed to be added?
This sounds amazing! I am pinning this and will be giving it a try. Thanks for sharing.
Suzanne
Pieced Pastimes