SPICY BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND HAZELNUT TRAY BAKE

Another deliciously moist veggie cake, full of goodness! Well, sort of. A slice must be one of your five a day surely????  Spices in general do not have that long a shelf life, so please ensure your spices are in date as the flavours deteriorate quite quickly.

Grease a 9” square traybake tin and lightly oil, then line the pan, leaving plenty hanging over the sides to help you lift it out. Pre heat your fan oven to 160C. Prepare your ingredients before starting the cake.

6 oz softened butter

10 oz golden caster sugar

3 large eggs

12 oz plain flour

1½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 teaspoon of ground mixed spice

6 fl oz buttermilk

2 cups of grated, peeled, butternut squash [the top part of about 1 small one]

4 oz chopped hazelnuts, toasted lightly in a fry pan - don’t take you eyes off them!

Extra nuts for a topping if you wish

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, along with a teaspoon of some flour to stop it curdling. Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk and mix well until combined. Fold in the squash and the toasted nuts. Pile into your tin, level it off and bake for about one hour.

This cake is truly scrumptious and I cannot recommend it enough. You will love it! Although I will admit the grating bit is a pain and it took me ten minutes.