Gluten-Free Butternut Squash Breakfast Cake

I am always trying to come up with a healthy version of the recipes I make for Sarah. She is careful about gluten and sugar and these two conditions serve as my guide. The Sour Cream Pumpkin Bread is very popular in our house and everyone loves to eat it for breakfast. It's quick, not too sweet and loaded with pecans for protein and fibre (to hopefully tide you over till lunch).


I initially tried the recipe using only applesauce and dried cranberries to sweeten it.  This did not work.  The cake was dry and really did not have much flavour.  It was evident that additional sugar would be needed as well as additional moisture to offset the rice flour (that can have a sandy texture).

For the second attempt, I decided to use maple syrup as a natural sweetener with applesauce and plain yogurt (to replace the sour cream and oil) for additional moisture. This worked surprisingly well!  The bread was light, just sweet enough and within half an hour of taking it out of the oven, was half gone.  A definite success.   

I wanted to make it again last night so everyone could have a quick breakfast option for Monday morning but realized I did not have any pumpkin purée left.  I did have some canned butternut squash purée and decided to try it instead.  Just as good!

You will need:  for one cake/loaf

• 1 cup (250g) pumpkin or butternut squash purée (canned or fresh)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (120ml) of pure maple syrup 
• 1 tbsp (15ml) of pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (60ml) of unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup (60ml) of low fat plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups (220g) of brown rice flour 
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp each of mixed nutmeg, ginger and ground cloves (or 1 tsp mixed spices)
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of chopped pecans

____________________

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C);
2. Beat the eggs (2) in a large bowl and add the pumpkin/butternut squash purée (1 cup - 250g), the vanilla extract (1 tbsp - 15ml), the maple syrup (1/2 cup - 120ml), the applesauce (1/4 cup - 60ml) and the plain yogurt (1/4 cup - 60ml)
3. In another bowl, mix together the brown rice flour (1 1/2 cups - 220g), baking soda (1tsp), salt (1/2 tsp) and spices (1tsp mixed spices + 1tsp cinnamon);
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well until blended (try not to over mix as it will toughen the batter); 
5. Add the pecans and pour into a buttered loaf pan;
6. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean (about 50 - 55 minutes).

Double batch to freeze