All the flavours of winter packed into one delicious cake…. this is a great alternative to classic Christmas cake, and there’s no marzipan involved which might be a relief for all the marzipan-haters out there.
If you need to make it ahead of time, you can freeze it once cooled (before you ice it). Just wrap it tightly in clingfilm, freeze, and then bring it out of the freezer the night before you are ready for it. Keep the clingfilm on until it has thawed, as then the condensation will gather on the film, and not on the cake. Pop the icing on the following morning once it is fully thawed out.
INGREDIENTS:
For the cake…
- 150ml olive oil
- 175ml maple syrup (or 225g sugar)
- 4 free range eggs
- 2 tbsp natural yoghurt
- 400g self raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1tbsp ground cinnamon
- quarter tsp grated nutmeg
- 250g squash, peeled and grated
- pinch sea salt
For the frosting…
- 200g cream cheese/mascarpone (at room temp)
- 100g butter (room temp)
- 100g icing sugar
- half tsp vanilla essence
- handful toasted nuts & orange/lemon zest to decorate (optional)
METHOD
Bake the cake…
- Preheat oven to 180c
- Whisk together the eggs, pinch of salt & syrup/sugar for 3-4 mins until fluffy.
- Add the remaining cake ingredients and fold in with a spoon.
- Pour the mixture into a 20cm lined/greased cake tin.
- Bake in the oven for 40 mins & test to check that a skewer comes out clean.
Make the frosting…
- Whip the butter with a hand mixer for 2 mins until smooth.
- Add the cream cheese, sugar & vanilla essence and whip for 2 mins.
- Spread on the cake using a knife once the cake is cool.
- Decorate with toasted nuts, or grated lemon or orange zest.