Spiced, sweet, and everything nice! This Vegan Butternut Squash Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze has a tender crumb and a delicate crust. Coated in a sweet maple glaze, each slice of this vegan bundt cake is even better than the last. Made with comforting spices, butternut squash, and maple flavour to keep you cozy all season long.
Is there anything more beautiful that a bundt cake? Tall and decorative, with the perfect shape to hold drizzles and drips of a flavourful glaze. Spiced and sweet, this vegan Butternut Squash Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze celebrates the season with this delicious treat.
Made with cake flour, which contains less protein than all-purpose flour, to obtain the perfect soft and tender texture. The butternut squash adds a delicious sweet flavour and creates a moist texture similar to adding sour cream to a pound cake. Paired with the delicate crumb, this winter cake recipe is perfect for the holidays.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- It’s completely eggless, dairy-free, and vegan!
- The perfect balance of sweet and spice.
- Can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert!
- Velvety smooth and flavour maple glaze.
Top tips for making a Butternut Squash Bundt Cake:
- Don’t substitute the cake flour. Cake flour is what gives this bundt cake it’s tender and soft texture. Similar to a cake donut, this tender crumb is just as addicting as this flavour it carries.
- Make butternut squash puree from scratch. Store-bought works, but we found that using homemade butternut squash puree yielded a better flavour profile and texture. You can make your own homemade squash puree by steaming or roasting your squash until fork tender. Then transfer to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Use fresh spices. Yes, spices expire and it does affect your recipe if you use them. For the best winter flavour ensure the spices you’re using are fresh and fragrant.
- Don’t overmix the batter. We used cake flour to get a soft texture, don’t ruin it by overmixing. Overmixing the batter causes gluten to develop and your cake can turn tough.
- Really spray your bundt pan to avoid sticking. Bundt pans can be tricky to work with because all the nooks and crannies are perfect places for cake to stick to. We use a non-stick cooking spray to really coat our baking tins to keep the cake from breaking or sticking to the pan.
- Keep the glaze to the side. If you’re serving right away and think you’ll serve up the whole thing in one sitting go ahead and pour over the glaze. However if you want to keep this for a few days, glaze each spice as you eat it. Glazing the whole loaf and storing it later can create a soggy cake after a day or two.
Ingredient and Tool Notes
- Cake Flour – This is a must for this recipe. If you substitute in all-purpose or pastry flour your cake won’t have the right texture after baking.
- Flax Eggs – To bind everything all together flax eggs are key. You can also try other vegan egg substitutes but we have not tested any others and cannot guarantee texture or taste won’t be affected.
- Spices – Season to taste, but remember to taste as you go to ensure it’s not too much or too little.
- Butternut Squash Puree – We used a homemade butternut squash puree that we roasted until soft then pureed to make a smooth and creamy puree. You can opt to use a store-bought variety but we cannot guarantee results.
- Soy Milk – Any non-dairy milk should work, but keep in mind other like coconut or almond can affect the flavour.
Just a few tools will do you! All you need is some basic baking tools like spatulas and bowls (or a stand mixer) in addition to your favourite bundt tin.
- Bundt Pan – Use something fun and beautiful, but remember the more intricate the design the harder it is to get the bundt cake out without sticking. Be sure to really coat any bundt pan you are using for a seemless removal after baking.
- Stand Mixer – The butter needs to be whipped up and the best way (and the least exhausting way) is to use a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
Recipe FAQ:
Can I substitute cake flour?
Yes you can, but we don’t recommend it. We used cake flour for a reason and it’s to get a delicious, tender crumb. If you substitute the cake flour it will change the texture of the cake.
Store-bought or homemade butternut squash puree?
We like to use homemade butternut squash puree for this recipe because it results in the best taste and texture. However if you’re short on time and have access store-bought should work okay. Just make sure you like the taste of it!
Can I use other types of fruit purees?
Probably. We can’t say for sure as we haven’t tested other purees but we imagine some different options would work! You should be able to make this recipe with pumpkin puree and other squash purees. Applesauce and mashed banana may work as well but we’re less confident on these options.
Other vegan dessert recipes you’ll love:
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Scones
- Apple Fritter Loaf with Maple Glaze
- Gingerbread People Cookies
- Easy Apple Fritters with Maple Glaze
How to make a Butternut Squash Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze:
Butternut Squash Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze
Ingredients
Bundt Cake
- 2 flax eggs, 2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp warm water
- 360 g cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp all spice
- 340 g room temperature vegan butter, 3 sticks
- 300 g granulated sugar
- 1 cup butternut squash puree
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp maple extract
- 3/4 cup soy milk
Maple Glaze
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp maple extract
Instructions
Before you start: Make your flax eggs and set aside to thicken.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- To a bowl combine cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and all spice. Mix and set aside.
- To a stand mixer add vegan butter and granulated sugar, beat on medium until light and fluffy – about 5-7 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low and slowly drizzle in the flax eggs and beat for another 1-2 minutes. Keeping the mixer on low beat in butternut squash puree one spoonful at a time. Turn off the stand mixer.
- Add non-dairy milk to a bowl and combine with vanilla extract and maple extract. Set aside.
- To the stand mixer alternate adding in dry ingredients and the milk mixture a third at a time, mixing in between each add-in.
- Brush a bundt pan with neutral flavoured oil to keep the cake from sticking. Scoop the batter into the greased bundt pan and level off the top with a spatula.
- Bake in preheated oven to 60-65 minutes or until fully cooked all the way through. Remove from the oven and turn out the bundt cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake cools make the glaze by combining icing sugar, maple syrup, and maple extract until smooth.
- Once the cake has cooled, pour over the glaze on the bundt cake and serve.
Video
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