Butternut coffee cake with pecan streusel
Don’t let the squash throw you — it lends an earthy sweetness and golden colour to this coffee cake without overpowering the flavour. With a nutty streusel layered throughout, it’s perfect for fall mornings or afternoon coffee breaks.
Ingredients
Pecan streusel
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup flour
- ⅔ cup pecans (or your favourite nut), toasted and chopped
- ⅓ cup butter, browned
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Squash cake
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ cups butternut squash, roasted and mashed
Instructions
Streusel
- In a small pan over medium-low heat, toast the pecans, stirring often, until they are lightly toasted. Remove the nuts and place them on a cutting board to cool. Chop into small pieces. Reserve.
- Add the butter to the same pan and cook until the milk solids start to brown. Remove the pan from the heat, add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Reserve.
Squash cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- In a small bowl, add the flour and baking powder. Mix well.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, oil and brown sugar. Blend in the eggs. Add half of the flour mixture and milk and stir until combined, then add the remainder and combine. Fold in the squash.
- Grease an angel food or bundt cake pan and add in half the cake batter. Spread the batter evenly around the pan. Sprinkle half the streusel over the batter. Repeat with another layer of cake batter and streusel.
- Place the cake pan onto a sheet pan (in case it leaks) and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 50 to 60 minutes. Once the cake is finished baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the outside to help release the cake. Remove the cake and let it cool completely before serving.
