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Vegan yellow squash cake with pineapple glaze with a slice cut out.
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5 from 19 votes

Vegan Squash Cake (with Pineapple Frosting)

This delicious vegan summer squash cake is tender, moist and loaded with nutritious yellow squash. Top it with a scrumptious vegan pineapple glaze!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 282kcal
Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

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
US Customary - Metric

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.

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.
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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 161mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg