All summer squash are welcome in this moist, buttery, sourdough-spiced pound cake.
After unsuccessfully trying to grow a zucchini plant last year, my husband and I may have overcorrected by planting twelve summer squash plants this year. And, by some miracle, not a single one has died. Yellow squash? Zucchini? Patty pans? Yeah, we’ve got ’em all.
Luckily these versatile summer veggies are great for adding moisture and tenderness to baked goods. Their mild flavor and subtle sweetness also allows them to merge seamlessly with other ingredients. For this recipe it perfectly complements tangy notes of sourdough, and a gentle ginger spice, in a rich, buttery pound cake. The optional lemon icing imparts brightness, for an even more summery feel.
The Star Ingredient: Summer Squash.
I’ve tried this cake with all three of my summer squash varieties, and each has imparted its own unique characteristics: a yellow squash cake looks extra-golden and buttery, whereas one made with zucchini is decidedly vegetal with speckles of green, and the seafoamy patty pans skew it more towards a fresh, clean demeanor.
No matter which squash you choose, this delightful cake will surely capture the essence of summer. So the next time you find yourself, like me, with truly too much summer squash, don’t hesitate to venture beyond your usual recipes and embrace the magic of this sourdough summer squash pound cake.
More like this:
A Sourdough Orange Poppy Seed Cake is great when oranges are abundant, whereas a Sourdough Marble Cake is good any time of the year. Check out my entire collection of sourdough discard recipes here.
Sourdough Summer Squash Pound Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 226 grams (2 sticks/1 cup) unsalted butter (softened) plus more for pan
- 250 grams (1¾ cups) all purpose flour
- 6 grams (1½ tsp) baking powder
- 6 grams (1 tsp) fine salt
- 198 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 7 grams (1 tsp) grated fresh ginger
- 2 large eggs
- 150 grams (about 1 packed packed) coarsely grated summer squash such as zucchini, yellow squash, and patty pans
- 83 grams (⅓ cup) sourdough discard 100% hydration
Icing (optional)
- 113 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Allow the 2 sticks of butter to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until softened and room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine sugar and ginger. Rub together with your fingers until evenly combined and sugar is fragrant. Add softened butter and beat together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes
- On low speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate before adding the next.
- Add summer squash and mix until fully combined. Add sourdough discard and mix until fully combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
- Add dry ingredient mixture into wet ingredient mixture. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until just evenly incorporated, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Firmly tap the pan on the countertop several times to settle the batter and work out any air bubbles.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a long wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, and internal temperature is 210°. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack (about 1-2 hours) before serving or icing. Don't be alarmed if the bottom seems dark, it will lighten as it cools.
- If icing: Once cake has cooled, combine powdered sugar and zest from lemon in a small mixing bowl. Juice lemon and add 15 grams/1 tbsp lemon juice to the powdered sugar. Mix until icing is thick but smooth. Add more lemon juice by the teaspoon if icing is too thick to spread. Spread icing on top of cake and allow it to set before slicing.
