Butternut Squash/Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Winter squash takes this coffee cake to the next level. The original recipe did not call for pumpkin but I substituted canned pumpkin because butternut squash had not come into season yet. You can make muffins with this batter as well.

Ingredients

• Streusel

  • 1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup roasted pecans, coarsely chopped

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

• Cake

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

  • 1/4 cup Sciabica lemon or orange flavored EVOO

  • 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked butternut squash (or pumpkin ) coarsely mashed with a fork (see note at bottom)

Preparation

• Streusel

  • With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350°F . Generously butter a bundt or tube pan

  • In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Stir in the butter and combine with your fingers until crumbly. Set aside.

• Cake

  • In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda.

  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Beat in the olive oil. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk. Using a spatula, stir in the squash. Spoon half of the batter into the cake pan and sprinkle with half of the streusel. Repeat with the remaining batter and streusel.

  • Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack. Run the blade of a knife between the cake and the pan. Remove from pan.

• Muffins : Follow directions for layering the cake batter with the streusel topping in lined muffin tins. Then bake muffins for 35-45 minutes . Will make 12 jumbo muffins or 24 small muffins

NOTE ABOUT COOKED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

For 1 1/2 cups of coarsely mashed cooked squash, roast a small butternut squash, cut in half and seeded, cut side down with a bit of olive oil on parchment paper, at 375°F for about 1 HOUR or until tender.