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Pools of sugared glaze bathe the peaks and valleys atop this apple and butternut squash cake with buttermilk glaze, your visual cue that autumn has arrived. You’ll love each slice of this moist butternut squash cake with apple chunks and autumn spices! The tangy buttermilk glaze takes this easy fall dessert to the next level.
If you love fall cake recipes, you’ll definitely want to try Cinnamon Swirl Toasted Pecan Bundt Cake and Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Pound Cake.
Quick Look: Butternut Squash Cake Recipe
- ⏲️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
- ⏲️ Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 12 servings
- 🌽 Cuisine & Heritage: Classic American
- 🍽️ Calories: 443 calories per serving (more nutritional info in recipe card)
- 🥦 Dietary Info: can be made Gluten Free if made with GF flour
- 🟢 Difficulty: Easy
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Oven Baked
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Moist cake with apple and squash infused with a wonderful cinnamon and nutmeg flavor.
- 🔑 Top Tip: Allow the cake to cool before topping with a glaze or icing to prevent it from being absorbed into the cake.
- 🍷 Drink Pairings: Pair this cozy butternut squash cake with a glass of Riesling, spiced chai, or a smooth brown ale to bring out its warm autumn flavors.
- ❄️ Storage: Leftover cake will keep at room temperature or in the fridge for 3-5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect Breakfast or Brunch Cake: This butternut squash cake makes a gorgeous breakfast or brunch treat (like my Huguenot blueberry coffee cake) along with a cup of coffee.
- Moist & Delicious: This hearty, moist cake is packed with squash and apple for lots of flavor and moisture.
- Quick & Easy: With just 20 minutes of prep time, this cake is easy to throw together anytime you’re wanting an easy fall dessert!
Table of Contents
This recipe from a 1996 Better Homes and Gardens magazine was sealed in a box from one of my moves, and I didn’t rediscover it until I opened the box in South Carolina 25 years later. I meant to make this recipe when I first clipped it from the magazine, but here I am now, rediscovering the recipes that inspired me to learn cooking all those years ago. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Ready to make this butternut squash cake? Grab these key ingredients, along with a few others, and you’ll be ready to start baking!
- Mashed Squash: You’ll need some cooked and mashed winter squash, such as butternut or acorn squash.
- Buttermilk: This tangy liquid is used in the cake to add moisture, as well as in the glaze.
- Cooking Apples: I recommend reaching for a tart cooking apple, such as Granny Smith.
- Walnuts: These nuts add a lovely crunch to the cake! Substitute with almonds or pecans if you prefer.
- Golden Raisins: A touch of raisins pair wonderfully with the apples and walnuts; feel free to omit if you prefer.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Don’t want a buttermilk glaze? Try a cream cheese frosting, Nutella frosting, or even a maple glaze would be lovely substitutes.
- Don’t want to use butternut squash? Either canned pumpkin purée, acorn squash purée, or even grated summer squash or zucchini would work beautifully.
How to Make Butternut Squash Cake
Scroll down for the full printable recipe or stick around for the step-by-step breakdown with photos to walk you through every delicious detail.
1
Prepping the Squash
Carefully cut the butternut squash in half with a sharp knife, then scrape out the seeds and pulp with a spoon.
Place the halves cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle or brush some olive oil all over the inside of both halves. Bake the squash halves at 350°F for 45 minutes, or until the flesh is completely fork tender. (A very large squash will likely take an hour or more to fully bake.)
Cool completely, then scoop out of the skin and pulse in a food processor until puréed.
2
Make the Cake Batter
Pour the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk until well combined. Beat the softened butter with a hand mixer until it’s smooth, then add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract and beat again until well combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture will be silky looking and very smooth.
In a medium bowl mix together cooked, puréed butternut squash with some buttermilk. Alternating each addition, add the squash mixture and then the flour mixture beating together on low speed until well combined.
3
Add the Apples
Peel, core, and chop 1.5 cups of apples, then mix them along with the walnuts and gold raisins into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
Peel, core, and thinly slice 1 cup of apples, then toss them with one-quarter cup of sugar and some cinnamon. Arrange on top of the cake.
3
Baking the Cake
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. I use a wooden toothpick to test for doneness about 15 minutes before the time is up regardless of pan size.
Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then loosen the sides of the springform pan. Cool for another 30 minutes before drizzling with the buttermilk glaze. (Wait for 2 hours before frosting with any type of frosting.)
4
Making the Buttermilk Glaze
Add a cup of confectioners’ sugar to a bowl and stir in a thin stream of buttermilk; between 1 and 3 tablespoons. I like to use the tines of a fork to stir the mixture to a smooth consistency.
Place the cake atop a rimmed pedestal or rimmed cake plate. Drizzle the buttermilk glaze over the entire cake, being sure to coax some overflow down the sides. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, butternut squash works beautifully in a cake! I recommend pairing it in an apple cake with warm fall spices like this butternut squash cake with buttermilk.
I recommend puréeing butternut squash for baking, as this ensures that it incorporates evenly into the cake. To cook the squash, I recommend either oven roasting the squash halves, or boiling the peeled and cubed squash until tender. Then, you can easily purée the cooked squash in a food processor.
There is debate on whether or not to refrigerate baked goods that have a glaze assembled with dairy. In the case of this cake, if you make the buttermilk glaze, the choice is yours as to whether or not to refrigerate. I do not, and we have never experienced any issue. The cake will keep at room temperature for 3-5 days.
If you use the cream cheese frosting, you must refrigerate any uneaten portions of cake. Because this cake is dense, use plastic film right up against the crumb when storing under refrigeration so as not to dry it out. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
Serving Suggestions
I highly recommend enjoying this butternut squash cake with a cup of piping hot coffee and a crossword puzzle while enjoying the fall air on your back porch. It tastes great with other fall recipes, like creamy easy squash casserole, pan seared pork chops with maple roasted pears, and maple bacon Brussels sprouts.
If you love coffee cakes, be sure to check out my recipe for Copycat Entenmann’s New York Style Coffee Cake!
Expert Tips
- Bring the ingredients to room temperature before assembling the batter.
- Let the cake cool for 30 minutes before adding the buttermilk glaze, or at least 2 hours before adding cream cheese frosting.
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Butternut Squash Cake with Buttermilk Glaze
Equipment
- 10-inch springform pan or 9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
For the Butternut Squash Cake
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon, divided
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ cup softened to room temperature; 1 tablespoon melted
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar, divided
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cups cooked and pureed butternut squash, or puréed acorn squash or pumpkin
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 3-4 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 cup walnuts, rough-chopped
- ¼ cup golden raisins
For the Buttermilk Glaze (Option #1)
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1-3 tablespoons buttermilk
For the Cream Cheese Frosting (Option #2)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Butternut Squash Cake
- Grease a 10-inch springform pan or 9x13x2-inch baking pan; set aside.
- Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and the nutmeg.
- In a large separate bowl, beat the butter for until smooth with a hand mixer for about 1 minute. Add 1¼ cups of granulated sugar and vanilla, then beat until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, stir the mashed squash with the buttermilk. Add squash mixture and dry ingredients alternately to the egg mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Add 1½ cups of the chopped apple, walnuts, and the raisins into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. To the remaining 1 cup of chopped apples, add the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and toss well to coat the apples. Scatter the cinnamon sugar apples on top of batter.
- Bake in 325°F oven for 1 to 1¼ hours for springform pan, and 50 minutes to hour for 9×13-inch pan or till cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool on rack for 10 minutes. If using springform pan, loosen sides of pan; if using a 9×13 baking pan, invert onto cooling rack after 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before either glazing or frosting.
If Making the Buttermilk Glaze…
- Stir together 1 cup sifted powdered sugar and enough buttermilk to make drizzle consistency (add 1 tablespoon at a time till desired consistency).
If Making Cream Cheese Frosting…
- Beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract and beat until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Decorating the Cake
- Drizzle the cooled cake with the buttermilk glaze or spread the cream cheese frosting on top. Let the glaze set, then slice and enjoy.
Notes
- Bring the ingredients to room temperature before assembling the batter.
Let the cake cool for 30 minutes before adding the buttermilk glaze, or at least 2 hours before adding cream cheese frosting. - If you make this cake with the buttermilk glaze, feel free to choose whether or not to refrigerate the leftovers. However, if you use the cream cheese frosting, you must refrigerate any uneaten portions of cake.
- When refrigerating the cake, cover the cake with plastic film right up against the crumb so it does not dry out.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
With much gratitude and appreciation, this recipe is courtesy of our friends at Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.
In the ingredient list, pumpkin is listed as a choice. Could I use canned pumpkin? I bought some and still haven’t used it. Would this work? The idea of adding the apples on top and the buttermilk glaze sounds yummy!
Hi Barbara — thanks so much for your question and for reading the recipe. I haven’t personally tested using canned pumpkin in this exact squash-cake recipe, so I want to be upfront about that. However — based on my research — yes, I believe using canned plain pumpkin puree should work well in place of the fresh winter squash (or butternut squash) called for in the recipe.
A few things to keep in mind: make sure it’s plain pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, which has sugar/spices already added). Keep an eye on the batter’s thickness (the moisture content of canned pumpkin can vary compared to fresh squash), and you may need to adjust slightly (for example if the batter seems wetter than the original version). Baking time should be very similar, but always use the usual cues (toothpick test, edges pulling from pan, etc.). I know you are a seasoned baker and cook, so I know you understand the references to the “cues.”
The apples on top and the buttermilk glaze will work beautifully with pumpkin puree just as they would with squash. So yes — if you’ve got canned pumpkin in your pantry, I say give it a try! Please let me know how it turns out (and feel free to check in if you want to tweak anything further).
Barbara — I hope you love the cake! xo – Jenny
This looks and sounds absolutely delicious! I love squash but don’t have many recipes using it. Will have to try this one! Thanks for sharing!
Ellie, thank you! It’s quite good, but I’m biased. I like it best with the buttermilk glaze, but if entertaining I always whip up the cream cheese frosting for it. Everybody LOVES cream cheese frosting! x – Jenny
Have not tried it yet. My Mother in law is coming for a visit, so I want to make it while she is here. I know she will love it!!!
Darlene, oh let me know how she enjoys it! I made it again last week for an after-church function and everybody seemed to enjoy it. Was a little sad I had none to bring home! x – Jenny