GF Buttermilk Butternut Bundt Cake with Spiced Vanilla Glaze

November 20, 2011

iced buttermilk butternut squash bundt cake

This recipe may be a mouthful (literally and literarily) but I promise it's so worth it. This cake with its super healthy "secret ingredient" is so incredibly moist, decadently delicious and even, you know, kind of healthy, that you won't even notice how long it takes to spell it out! Well, at least not until all of your friends start asking for the recipe!

Gluten Free Buttermilk Butternut Bundt Cake with Spiced Vanilla Glaze
Serves 4-6

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups gluten free flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ginger, ground

1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly ground

3/4 cup buttermilk

8 ounces / 2 1/4 cups peeled and grated butternut squash

For the icing and garnish

2 1/4 cup powdered/confectioners’ sugar

3 Tbsp buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly ground

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped

Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a standard bundt pan (don't forget to tap out the excess flour!)

In the bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with paddle attachment), cream butter and sugar until well combined and just fluffy (1-2 minutes). Beat in oil until just incorporated (20 seconds). Set mixer to "low" and add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add vinegar, vanilla, half of the flour, and the remaining dry ingredients, stirring until just incorporated. Stir in half of the buttermilk, mixing well, then remaining flour, and finally, the remaining buttermilk. Fold in the squash and pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean -- about 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool the cake - pan and all - on a wire rack for 30 minutes before inverting a wire rack over the top of the cake + pan, flipping the whole thing over, removing the pan and voila! Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

Whisk together all ingredients until smooth, adding more buttermilk as needed (a few drops at a time!) to create a thick-but-pourable icing. Placing the cake + rack on a baking sheet or newspaper, pour the icing in thick ribbon over the fully cooled cake, following a back and forth pattern. Let the glazed / iced cake set for about 45 minutes at room temperature before serving.