Butternut Squash Cake recipe

I submitted this recipe to The Leader for the annual recipe contest this year - I haven't heard back, so I guess once again I will not be a finalist.  I don't know if I will torture myself like this again next year.

Anyway.. this is a great recipe to use up some of those butternut squash for something other than autumn porch decorations!  It is incredibly easy to make, and is delicious, if I do say so myself!  It is such a pretty reddish-orange color - just perfect for fall! 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CAKE


2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
4 eggs
2 cup flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil (I used ½ cup unsweetened applesauce and ½ cup oil to reduce fat)

2 cup butternut squash

Cook and mash the butternut squash - I cut it up and microwave it if I am in a hurry, otherwise you can bake it - the results have been the same both ways (you can also use frozen). Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake 350 for 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.



Icing

8 oz cream cheese (I used 1/3 reduced fat and it was fine), room temperature
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb (2 cups) powder sugar (I cut this to 1 cup powder sugar and it was fine, just thinner)


Mix together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until creamy. Add the sugar ¼ cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Enough to frost top of cake generously.

I am going to try making this in a bundt cake pan this week, and making a thinner icing and just doing a glaze for a change.  We'll see how that turns out!