I have had my prize (and only) butternut squash from my garden sitting there waiting to be used for a few weeks now. I finally found the perfect recipe. I know there are plenty of soups and savoury recipes I could have tried, but hey, this is me and I wanted cake. No, this pregnant lade NEEDED cake!

 Hereis the recipe I used and I took the advice to add some poppy seeds to the mixture, only one tbsp not two. The cake was moist and delicious, a little like a carrot cake. Carl took half to work and it was praised by the Toyota staff. High praise indeed!

Butternut Squash and Orange Cake

• 225g / 8oz self raising flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 175g / 6oz caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 200ml / 7fl oz sunflower oil
• 225g / 8oz butternut squash puree
• rind & juice of one orange
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1. Firstly premake your puree.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 C .
3. Grease and base line a shallow tin 17 x 26 cm / 6 ½ x 10 ½ inches).
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder and spices into a large bowl, stir in the sugar.
5. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs, oil, extract, poppy seeds, rind and juice then stir until smooth.
6. Add the puree and stir in well.
7. Spoon the batter into the cake tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 45-55 minutes until a metal skewer comes out clean from the centre of the cake.
8. Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Lemon Butter-cream

• 125g butter
• 250g icing sugar
• peel of one lemon
• 1 to 3 tsp of lemon juice

1. In a food processor add you softened butter and sifted icing sugar and beat until smooth and combined.
2. Gradually add the lemon a tsp at a time testing in between for flavour and consistency.
3. Ice your cake once completely cool.