Best Apple Squash Cake w/ Candied Ginger Pecan Streusel!!!!!

Here it is. I know many of you have been patiently waiting for this recipe after seeing it on my instagram.

I love cooked squash in baked goods.
Think pumpkin pie.....after all, pumpkin is a variety of squash, isn't it?

Don't be afraid, I have converted you to olive oil in cakes, and roasting grapes with vegetables, so why not make a squash cake?
I have a few on my site already, but this one takes the cake, no pun intended.

It is everything fall, and paired with apples, this could be my favorite cake to date (I know, I say that all the time).

The candied ginger streusel topping sets this cake apart from the rest.....there is a little bite from the ginger and it is fantastic.
This is my Thanksgiving cake.

Truth be told, the first time I baked this cake I forgot the eggs. Yes I did.

I was yapping on the phone while baking (same thing as drinking wine while baking, I always forget something), and I didn't realize until I was writing out the recipe, that no eggs were cracked during this process.

So, how did a cake come out baked without eggs?
Totally delicious, a little denser than with the eggs, but still DELICIOUS and it became a vegan cake! No eggs, no butter!

But since I am not a vegan, I used eggs the second time and the cake was lighter and rose higher.

I used a 9" Nordicware commercial grade cake pan and the cake came out of the pan like a dream.

Here's how I made it:

I roasted a butternut squash by cutting the squash in half, scooping out the seeds and rubbing it with coconut oil and kosher salt.
Lay the halves skin side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook at 400F for 35-40 minutes. Let cool, then scoop out the flesh. You will need 1 cup of the puree for this recipe, so freeze the rest for another cake!

Ginger Pecan Streusel:

1/4 cup pecans
3 tbsp raw turbinado sugar
1/3 cup of candied or crystalized ginger

Whiz the ingredients in a food processor until course, but not fine. Set streusel aside.

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
3/4 cup light brown or turbinado (raw) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup sunflower or mild flavored olive oil
2 extra large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
finely grated zest of an orange (use a microplane grater)
1 cup butternut squash purée
1 large apple (I used an Empire), peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350F (180C)

Grease a 9" cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir well and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk the oil, eggs, vanilla extract, orange zest and butternut-squash purée until well blended.

Stir the apple pieces and raisins into the flour mixture until well blended. Add the squash mixture to the dry ingredients and, using a wooden spoon, mix until just moistened.

Spoon batter into prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with the streusel topping, patting the crumbs into the cake.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes before unmolding.

Serve at room temperature and enjoy!

If you make this cake, do let me know.