Recipe

Banana & Butternut Buttermilk Cake

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Photo by Marla

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Edible Gift
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Marla's Notes: Is it a cake, bread, loaf? I am not sure where one crosses the boundary from bread to cake....So often we refer to "Banana Bread." It is a cake in my book. A buttery, sweet satisfying...
Is it a cake, bread, loaf? I am not sure where one crosses the boundary from bread to cake....So often we refer to "Banana Bread." It is a cake in my book. A buttery, sweet satisfying, crumbly, sugar filled treat. In this recipe I combine many seasonal flavors. The spices combined with the butternut squash give a nice holiday twist to a traditional banana bread....or cake!

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Serves about 10 big slices

Roasted Butternut Squash:

1 Butternut Squash Ask a question about this ingredient

splashes Canola Oil or Cooking Spray Ask a question about this ingredient

Clean squash, leave skin on. Cut the top and then the bottom off. Cut the squash down the middle and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice squash into large chunks.
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Spray or lightly coat flesh with a bit of Canola oil. Spray baking pan as well. Put squash flesh side down in baking pan. Roast for about 50 minutes, until squash is very soft and golden brown.
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Let cool and remove the skins. Mash some squash so you have about 1/2 cup. You will have plenty of leftover squash for other recipes.
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Banana & Butternut Buttermilk Cake:

2 1/2 cups A/P Unbleached Flour (I used 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour and 1/2 unbleached white A/P, use what you have on hand) Ask a question about this ingredient

1 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder Ask a question about this ingredient

1 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon Salt Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon Cardamom Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon Cinnamon Ask a question about this ingredient

2/3 cups Unsalted, Softened Butter Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup Brown Sugar, Agave, Honey or Maple Syrup Ask a question about this ingredient

2 Eggs Ask a question about this ingredient

2 Medium Bananas, Mashed Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 cup Butternut Squash, Mashed Ask a question about this ingredient

3/4 cups Buttermilk Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract Ask a question about this ingredient

Powdered Sugar for Dusting Ask a question about this ingredient

Preheat oven to 350˚F Butter a cake pan, I used one 9x3 round pan. You could make smaller cakes or muffins for gifts. Adjust cooking time to accommodate pan size. The batter went about 2" up the sides of my pan, to keep baking time and temperature similar you can go smaller in size or shape, but keep the same depth of batter. Please reference baking charts to get time and temp. correct.
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Sift all dry ingredients together, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
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With a mixer, beat butter at medium speed until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well blended. Add eggs to the mixture, one at a time. Add mashed bananas, squash and vanilla. Mix until combined.
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Alternately add 1/3 of the flour to the butter mixture, stir until just mixed. Add 1/2 the buttermilk. Repeat until all ingredients are added, ending with the flour.
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Pour the batter into prepared cake pan(s). Bake in the oven for about 50-55 minutes. Cake(s) are done baking when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Start testing at 50 minutes.
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Cool cake in pan. When it is cooled, flip it out, dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
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