Few treats capture the season as perfectly as spiced butternut squash bundt cake. This simple centerpiece has a springy, winter squash-suffused crumb, and is an ideal dessert for fall celebrations and other special moments. Best of all, it comes together simply and just needs a dusting of powdered sugar to be centerpiece-ready.

This butternut bundt cake is generously spiced with the flavors of the season. For the brightest flavors, skip the canned stuff and make your own butternut squash puree instead. It’s easy to do – just halve and seed a butternut squash, and then roast, covered, for about an hour. Once it’s cooled, scoop it out of the skin and mash with a fork. (If time is of the essence, feel free to swap in canned pumpkin puree.)

While the cake bakes, your house will fill with the scent of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. For maximum flavor, consider grinding your spices just before making. Cinnamon sticks can be broken up and placed in a coffee bean grinder. Cloves and allspice berries can also be ground in a coffee bean grinder. Whole nutmeg can be grated with a microplane grater. If you’d prefer to use pre-ground spices, your bundt cake will still be wonderfully fragrant and delicious.

Makes 10 servings

• 1 medium butternut squash, halved and seed
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups butternut squash puree (or sub canned pumpkin puree)
• 3/4 cup whole milk yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Set halved butternut squash on a baking sheet skin side down, rub with a drizzle of olive oil, and cover tightly with foil. Bake 60 – 70 minutes, or until squash is very tender. (Take care when opening the foil, as the steam will be very hot.) Allow squash to cool, then scoop flesh out of the skin, and mash with a fork until smooth.

When ready to make the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour a 10-cup bundt pan or spray with cooking spray.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk to combine flour, baking powder and soda, sea salt, and spices.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand beater, beat the oil and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down sides as needed. With mixer on low, mix in the pumpkin, yogurt, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Spoon into bundt pan, smooth the top, and then drop pan on counter 2 or 3 times to dislodge bubbles. Bake 55 – 65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out with just a few crumbs attached.

Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Enjoy!