It’s hard to have just one square of this spiced squash cake topped with cream cheese frosting. It’s similar to a carrot cake because it uses grated winter squash rather than cooked squash puree which is the usual for baking. Our favorite squash for this recipe is calabaza, a mild-flavored type of West Indian pumpkin that is available in many grocery stores, but if you can’t find it butternut makes an excellent substitute. Chunks of semisweet chocolate and five-spice powder bring sweetness and a kick and contrast deliciously with the rich, tangy frosting.

What is Five-Spice Powder?

Spice cakes often use a mix of spices; we opted to use one spice mix for this recipe: five-spice powder, a blend of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds. It’s warming, sweet, spicy, and perfect for baking, though it’s most often used in Chinese cooking for marinades for meat or an ingredient in braises and soups.