- 3/4 cup golden, unrefined sugar
- 2/3 cup melted coconut oil (or melted butter)
- 6 free-range eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- *1 cup puréed winter squash (see directions below)
- 1 & 1/2 cups gluten free (or regular) flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. xanthum gum (if using GF flour)
- 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1/3 cup unsweetened dried coconut shavings
With an electric beater, whip the coconut oil and sugar together until combined and then add the eggs in one at a time, beating until light and fluffy. Add the winter squash* and vanilla and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together, excluding the coconut. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Pour the batter into the greased pan, sprinkle with the coconut, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake turns golden.
*To make puréed winter squash: Cut the squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Roast at 375 F in the oven for 30 minutes to an hour in a roasting pan with water poured around the squash at the bottom. This will make the flesh more tender. I drizzled a bit of honey on mine for added sweetness. Once tender, let cool and then manually mash or purée in a food processor or blender. Use some for this recipe and the leftovers for a great soup.