Squash cupcakes with cream of Passionfruit

Squash cupcakes with cream of Passionfruit Recipe

By Tolhurst Organic Published: February 14, 2023

• Yield: 12 Servings
• Prep: 30 mins
• Cook: 35 mins
• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins

This week we’re making an easy Valentine’s dessert with the squash of your choice! We will be using squash puree and orange juice in our cupcake mixture. This will give the cupcakes a spongy texture and a golden orange colour. We’re also adding some passion-fruits in a cream made with cashews, as a topping. And optional toppings - dried rose petals and crushed pistachio nuts. Make these cupcakes for yourself or anyone you love!

Ingredients

• 400 grams squash puree you will need around the double in weight of raw squash
• 275 grams caster sugar
• 250 grams plain flour
• 125 grams almond or soy milk
• 75 grams vegan butter melted
• 1 whole oranges
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup cashew nuts soaked overnight. For the Passionfruit cream.
• 3/4 cup icing sugar For the Passionfruit cream.
• 2 whole Passion fruit For the Passionfruit cream. Plus 1 extra for topping
• 2 tbsp Maple syrup For the Passionfruit cream.
• 50 ml water For the Passionfruit cream.
• 1/4 tsp salt For the Passionfruit cream.

Instructions

1. Cut up your squash of choice in one to two cm thick crescent moons. You don’t need to remove the peel at this point. Slice the orange in two. Put the squash and orange on a baking tray covered with a silicone mat or baking paper. Place them in a 180° pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes or until you can pierce through the squash with a fork. All squash varieties have a different water content. You need to be left with 400g of squash puree. To make sure you have enough, take the double in raw squash weight as a minimum.
   
2. Let’s make our cream passionately! I mean let’s make our passionfruit cream. Take your cashew nuts that have been soaked overnight and drain the water. Now add the nuts to the blender along with the powdered sugar, the content of two passion fruits, maple syrup, water and a pinch of salt. Let’s blend it all until your cream is smooth and has a yoghurt-like consistency. If needed, add more water to achieve the desired texture. Now pour your cream into a plastic container and place in the freezer until the cupcakes are ready.
   
3. Take your squash out of the oven. At this point, you can easily cut off the peels of the squash. Put the squash in a food processor or blender along with the juice of the orange. Weigh up your squash puree to ensure you have 400g.
   
4. In a large mixing bowl, add the squash, melted vegan butter, almond milk and sugar. Whisk until well combined and smooth.
   
5. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over the wet mixture.
   
6. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet gently using a spatula or a large wooden spoon.
   
7. Fill the cupcake cups full and bake for 35 minutes in a 180° pre-heated oven. Test if your cupcakes are ready with a toothpick inserted in the middle. When it comes out clean they’re ready… for cooling off for about 20 minutes! This is the hard part, I know.
   
8. In the meantime, take your cashew passionfruit cream out of the freezer. Also, get your toppings and plates ready.
   
9. You can plate this dessert up in two different ways. The classical method, where you drizzle the cream and fresh passionfruit over the cupcakes. Alternatively, we can deconstruct this dessert by using the cream as a base on your plate. Then crumbling the cupcake and drizzling the fresh passionfruit over the cream. Optionally, give your dessert some extra pzazz by adding dried rose petals and crushed pistachio nuts. Bon appétit!