‘I like big Bundts and I cannot lie, you other brothers can’t deny…’
Oh geeze…there goes my inner high schooler brain. You know, the ones that are so bad in every way and just won’t get out of your head, like ‘so let’s do it like they do on the discovery channel’, ‘will the real slim shady please stand up’? I could go on and on.
Anyway.
Let’s get to the good stuff…this bundt cake!
I never in a million years would have thought about grinding a vegetable (in this case a gourd) into cake batter until I started baking. I love it! It’s almost like the veggies make the cake just that much more moist. Don’t you agree? See!
This bundt cake is especially delicious because of the flavor. The subtle hint of autumn spices matched with the sweet bursts of the glaze make it a treat that you just can’t stop eating!
I mean, look at the inside! There are the tiniest pieces of butternut squash throughout and it all just melts in your mouth. Mmm!
While we’re on the subject of lookin’ good, want to see a pull back shot of this photo shoot?
I recently got this lovely diffuser thing and I hadn’t used it until now. Let’s just say, I like it! It’s not very often that I’m able to take photographs inside the house (thank you energy saving North-South facing house…not). But, the afternoon light has about a 30 minute window when the light is coming in through our bedroom window. I literally had 1 foot of space to cram my body to take photos of this cake, all the while drizzling it with glaze and sprinkles…and that was all done while throwing the ball for Leland and singing songs (good thing he doesn’t know my voice is awful yet) to Liam! Phew!
Well, if anything, I hope you learned one of the following:
- Vegetables are delicious in cakes, especially when hidden.
- I had awful taste in music in my teenybopper years.
- Light diffusers are a great tool.
- My food photography is predominately shot outside.
- I have an awful singing voice, even though I’d love to be the next Katy Perry (I enjoyed her documentary!).
Butternut Squash Bundt
adapted from Fine Cooking
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 cups white whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup low fat buttermilk
- 2 1/2 cups peeled and grated butternut squash
- (icing) 2 cups powdered sugar
- (icing) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- (icing) 2-3 tablespoons low fat buttermilk
How-To
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Spray the bundt pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with flour (tapping out the excess flour).
- In your stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter, sugar, honey, and canola oil together on medium speed for about 1 minute.
- Add in the eggs, beating well in between.
- Add in the vinegar and vanilla, beating until combined.
- Beat in the baking soda and nutmeg, just until combined.
- Beat in half of the flour.
- Beat in the buttermilk.
- Beat in the remaining flour.
- Stir in the butternut squash.
- Pour into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Once cooled, mix up your icing (powdered sugar, vanilla, buttermilk) and drizzle on the cake.
Drooling! That looks perfectly delicious.
It looks gorgeous! Beautiful photos, really like the black background!
I LOVE seeing your photography set up! The cake looks pretty good too 😉
I love the look of the gold sugar against the white glaze, and the golden color of the cake. Perfect! And sounds delicious!
I dub you…Supermommy! Just wait until you start secretly baking veggies into Liam’s food when he gets older, hah.
What a beautiful cake… seriously wishing I had a big slice to start my day:-)
This looks positively delicious! I love the shot from above!
How creative–love it!
Awesome pull back shot. I love it. Good tips too. I always wondered how you did the dark background shots. Didnt realize you just had dark backgrounds haha. *duh* I’d love to see how you take photos outside too. I get stuck in the ways that seem to work for me, and I forget there are other ways to do it. But this bundt cake looks awesome too. I love veggies in cakes too. You dont realize how good they can actually be! This looks awesome
Your pictures are always so beautiful..and love the idea of using squash in the bundt even more. I remember my first zucchini bread, I was amazed- veggies are such great addition to cakes.
Thanks for sharing some of your photography tips! I may have to start shooting outside too, as the natural light in my kitchen in the evenings these days has been terrible. I’ve been toying with making my own light box. That cake really looks phenomenal, the glaze is perfect!!
I love everything about this post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xoxo
You had me at butternut squash! 🙂 I adore baking with veggies, and I am confident this cake would be no exception. So pretty too!
hahaha big bundts that is funny….and love how you give us a glimpse of your food photography. and the cake looks good too!
So, in typical Kim fashion, I started to prepare this recipe before reading it through all the way first. Which means, I went ahead and cooked my butternut squash. Whoops! Or so I was assuming… I decreased the oil to 1/4 cup, thinking the cooked butternut would produce more liquid than the raw. And crossed my fingers hoping I saved the dessert I was making for my husband and I and two other couples. (Why do I always try new recipes out on guests?! And not read directions too?!) And it worked! It was really dense and moist, not sure if it’s suppose to be… The flavor of the squash still wasn’t overwhelming either. So, if it means a little less oil, I say, why not cook it ahead!