Simpler Living Blog

COOKING, RECIPES

Excess Squash? Find Creative Ways to Enjoy!

As we start our downhill slide to Fall, we are gifted with the bounty of the harvest. Included in that bounty is yellow squash. In all honesty, yellow squash could go into a category all its own if your garden is like mine. The rate that my squash plants produce fruit is magical. I don’t think that we had one seed that didn’t sprout and one flower that didn’t produce.

Getting creative with yellow/summer squash becomes a challenge, especially when most of the family is not a fan. My husband, who loves squash, has started to make “that face” when I tell him that I have made him some. I’m honestly tired of looking at it and even my dogs don’t want to eat anymore. I scoured the internet to find some creative recipes that would hide the squash and the person be none the wiser. My mom did this with zucchini bread when we were little. I don’t like zucchini, but she tweaked her mother’s recipe and added chocolate chips. I love that bread and talking about it makes me want some. I found these three recipes that seem to hide the squash pretty good. Use these as a jumping-off point to find places to hide this magical and plentiful ingredient.

Chocolate Yellow Squash Cake

Recipes for Sustenance

This recipe is from Recipes for Sustenance

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 firmly packed cups shredded yellow squash
1/4 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Spray a 9 x 13-inch cake pan.
Mix the oil, sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla with an electric mixer, in a large bowl, until well blended.
In another bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the oil and sugar mixture.
Fold in the shredded yellow squash. Your batter should be thick, but pourable with the help of a spatula. If your batter is dry, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until your batter comes together.
Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
To make the frosting, cream the butter in a mixing bowl. Gradually add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat until it all comes together and is a spreadable consistency. Spread the frosting over the cooled cak