This delicious vegan summer squash cake is tender, moist and loaded with nutritious yellow squash. Top it with a scrumptious vegan pineapple glaze!
After I've grated the yellow squash, measured the flour, the baking powder, and the baking soda. After I've finished pouring the oil and the sugar and the vanilla into the bowl to create an unholy-looking mess. After I've shoveled spoonfuls of the batter into my mouth because it's so tasty and nearly finished baking the goddamn cake, I start to agonize. Should I be baking this cake at all? Is there any way on earth I will be able to exercise moderation with this one?
The answer, even in my heart, is a pretty cocky "no." But then it's not that hard to convince yourself that a cake with a vegetable baked inside it and a fruit on top could be anything but good.
And it is, oh, it is.
I created this yellow squash cake years ago when I had a bounty of this delicious veggie on hand and because I never can get enough of squash-based desserts, like this incredible vegan zucchini bread and this vegan zucchini cake.
The cake lives up to every expectation. It flecks the cake with pale, yellow tendrils, and the icing has these tasty little bits of pineapple in it that will make your tastebuds dance. The coconut oil gives the whole thing a certain je ne sais quoi.
I know you have a ton of squash (zucchini works in this recipe too) sitting in your refrigerator now, so there's really nothing standing between you and this cake. I'll get out of the way now.
Why you will love this cake
- Moist, tender and absolutely delicious. If you have baked cakes with summer or winter squash before, you know that special something these veggies add to the cake. The yellow squash makes the cake melt-in-the-mouth tender and quite exquisite. The pineapple glaze, so easy to make, adds even more yumminess.
- Easy, one-bowl recipe. The batter comes together in one bowl and all you need to do is dump the ingredients in and mix it all up.
- Soy-free, nut-free and can be wholegrain and naturally sweetened. I usually make this cake with whole wheat pastry flour and I've made it with maple syrup instead of sugar (I used sugar this time). It works nicely with the wholegrain and maple syrup and makes a healthy-ish dessert even healthier.
- Perfect for after-school snacks or guilt-free treat. The healthfulness of this cake makes it perfect for kids (who don't need to know the cake is loaded with veggies) and for anyone watching their health.
Ingredients
Skip to the recipe card below for exact quantities of each ingredient.
For squash cake
- Flour. You can make this cake with all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or with a 50-50 mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour.
- Leavening: baking powder and baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Yellow squash. Yellow squash is absolutely fabulous is savory recipes like this squash and rice pudding and this vegan squash casserole. It shines in this dessert recipe as well. You can use zucchini instead, if that's what you have.
- Coconut oil. I love coconut oil in this recipe because it adds a nice flavor. You can use MCT oil or any neutral vegetable oil, including grape seed oil and avocado oil.
- Sugar (or maple syrup). I used turbinado sugar this time but maple syrup is great in this recipe as well. Use any granulated sugar of your choice.
- Applesauce. This adds more moisture and tenderness to the cake.
- Vegan yogurt. You can substitute non-dairy milk mixed with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
- Pure vanilla extract
For the icing:
- Vegan butter
- Powdered sugar. Maple syrup works here too.
- Crushed pineapple. I use canned crushed pineapple with a few chunky bits. You can make your own if you want to.
How to make vegan squash cake
Place flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Whisk.
Add the wet ingredients: sugar, grated squash, applesauce, vegan yogurt and pure vanilla extract.
Use a spatula to mix until the batter comes together with no dry flour. Let the batter stand five minutes, then mix quickly once again. The batter will look a bit thick but that's okay. The yellow squash will release its juices as it bakes.
Spoon the batter into an oiled and floured bundt cake pan or an 8-inch cake pan. Smooth the top.
Bake in a preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees Celsius oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Set the cake aside to cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Unmold onto a plate and continue cooling on a rack.
To make the pineapple glaze, beat the room temperature vegan butter for a few seconds with an electric beater or whisk.
Stir in the other ingredients -- pineapple and powdered sugar.
Mix with a whisk or spoon until a glaze forms.
Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. Let stand 30 minutes until set.
Recipe FAQs and Troubleshooting Tips
No! The skin of the squash, like the skin of zucchini, is soft and will cook up nicely in the cake.
Yes, but the batter may be a bit much for a standard loaf pan, and dividing between two pans will result in a short loaf. You can use an 8-inch square pan, or any cake pan or glass baking pan.
Absolutely. The glaze adds more dimension and makes the cake even more tender, but the cake is also delicious without it.
The glaze most likely curdled because all your ingredients were not at room temperature. But don't worry--set the bowl with the glaze over a pan with hot water (like a double boiler) until it's quite loose. Remove from the double boiler, let it stand a bit, then whisk again. Voila, no more curdling!
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate the squash cake in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Freeze: The cake freezes nicely in a freezer-safe container, whole or cut in slices, for up to four months. Thaw fully before eating.
More yummy cake recipes
Vegan Squash Cake (with Pineapple Frosting)
Ingredients
For the squash cake
- 2 cups flour (either all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour or a 50-50 mix of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups yellow squash (or zucchini. Measure after grating)
- ½ cup coconut oil (melted)
- 1 ½ cups sugar (or maple syrup)
- ½ cup applesauce
- ½ cup vegan yogurt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the pineapple glaze
- 8 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar (or maple syrup. Use more for a sweeter frosting)
- ½ cup crushed pineapple
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees Celsius. Prepare a bundt cake pan or an 8-inch cake pan by oiling and flouring it.
- Place flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Whisk.
- Add in the wet ingredients: sugar, grated squash, applesauce, vegan yogurt and pure vanilla extract.
- Use a spatula to mix until the batter comes together with no dry flour. Let the batter stand five minutes, then mix quickly once again. The batter will look a bit thick but that's okay. The yellow squash will release its juices as it bakes.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Set the cake aside to cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Unmold onto a plate and continue cooling on a rack.
Make the glaze
- To make the pineapple glaze, beat the room temperature vegan butter for a few seconds with an electric beater or whisk.
- Stir in the pineapple and powdered sugar. Mix with a whisk or spoon until a glaze forms.
Recipe notes
- You can skip the glaze if you want to. The glaze adds more dimension and makes the cake even more tender, but the cake is also delicious without it.
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate the squash cake in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Freeze: The cake freezes nicely in a freezer-safe container, whole or cut in slices, for up to four months. Thaw fully before eating.
Carol
This is delicious! Had an over abundance of yellow squash and was looking for a recipe to use it up. Glad I found this one. Thanks for sharing!!
Vaishali
So happy you made it, Carol.
ChrissyBozz
yum!yum!yum!
I added some cardamom to the mix...this is awesome even without the frosting!! great recipe!!
Vaishali
Awesome.! So happy you loved it. Cardamom would be divine here.
Maddie B
I just made this recipe and I loved it. I made a little mistake with the frosting and the Pineapple was a little wet so it went on more liquified. I made half the cake with the frosting and the other half with no frosting. It came out delicious both ways. Just some people don't like frosting.
Vaishali
So happy you loved it. It does work both with and without frosting!
Lou
Hello, I would like to try this recipe but don't have apple sauce. Do you think I can just skip it? If not what can I use instead? Thank you!
Vaishali
Do you have any yogurt? Or use another fruit puree like banana.
Cyndie
I made this into muffins... Went over very well with all who tried them with or without the frosting
Diane
I made this yesterday. It’s amazing!! I added the tiniest bit of ginger spice. Also, I had already roasted a squash so I used cooked and mashed squash for the recipe. Still, perfect! One more thing, I suggest blending the icing in a mixer for a smooth consistency because I tried only whisking and it did not cut the vegan buter well enough. Thanks for reading! I look forward to making this recipe again.
Sarah
The cake turned out delicious! Loved it!
But making the icing using the maple syrup instead of powdered sugar (I didn't have any powdered sugar on hand) did not work out at all. I tried it twice; the second time I added the pineapple after mixing the butter and syrup. I even tried adding some cornstarch to make up for not having the powdered sugar. Both times I ended up with a mess of butter bits and pineapple chunks. I think the powdered sugar is a necessity.
I'm giving 4 stars because the cake was so good.
Uj
Sounds great. There is a typos in first line of instruction. instead of l you typed ;
Niki
Hi
Sounds great! Wondering if a gf blend flour will be a good sub or any other flours you'd recommend?
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Niki, yes, a gf all-purpose would work fine here.
Lynne Mclain
I used mostly millet flour with just a little whole wheat and the cake was great. I
Noodlehead
Whoa, a fruit, veggie and whole wheat. Perfect!! I know you recommend lauki but I have some red pumpkin sitting around. Can I sub that for the squash? Silly question alert -----> if I made this in a mini muffin pan, how long do you reckon I'd need to bake it? My toddler loves to eat stuff herself and mini muffins are her go-to size so she can eat while monkeying around! Thanks 🙂
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Noodlehead, you can use the pumpkin, but it would change the taste up a bit and taste more like a pumpkin cake/bread. Pumpkin has a stronger flavor that yellow squash and lauki do, and it's very pleasant, but different.
Veganopoulous
aaaawesome looking cake, thank you! I have a birthday party coming up and need to cook some cakes. I love the idea of serving kids some veggies 😉
narf77
This cake looks perfect. An amazing balance of moist yellow texture with the promise of a great flavour from the squash. I use a lot of squash and this cake is going to slip into my repertoire like an old friend. Thank you for sharing this excellent recipe. I always have success with your cakes. The one time I failed, I had run out of margarine and was baking for non-vegan friends and attempted one of your cakes with butter and it failed TERRIBLY. Go figure eh? ;). Again, thank you for being so generous in sharing your excellent recipes 🙂
anuradhatadimety
Hi Vaishali,
I would like to try this cake really badly,can I sub squash with either Lauki or red pumpkin.No earth balance available in India, what can I sub it with for the frosting?Thank you for your wonderful vegan recipes.Have tried quite a few of them with great success.
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Anuradha, You can try this with lauki (bottle gourd). I think it should turn out quite well, and lauki is great in sweets. For the frosting, can you find any vegan butter where you are? If not, you can try making a plain sugar-pineapple glaze with about 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar mixed with about 1/4- 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple. Add the pineapple a little at a time, whisking together until you have a fairly pourable glaze. Then pour on top of the cake.
Thanks for your kind words-- and for trying the recipes. Cheers. 🙂
anuradhatadimety
Thanks for your quick reply.will try it this weekend and go for your sugar pineapple glaze idea.
Troy Soriano
I usually hate commentary (it's often so boring! "my life is perfect and my thoughts are perfect and my recipe-pics are so perfect blah blah blah) and just want the recipe but I love yours: unique!
Vaishali Honawar
Thanks Troy! You are too kind.
RAMECA
Hello should the squash be pre cooked I want to use buttercup squash..??
Vaishali
No, use grated raw squash.
amarthya
I want this so bad!