Spiced Parsnip, Orange and Walnut Cake
Spiced Parsnip, Orange and Walnut Cake
Spiced Parsnip, Orange and Walnut Cake
Serves 6 - 8
Preparation" 30 mins
Cooking Time: 35 mins approx.
I was looking online for an idea to make a cake with parsnips - following on from my recent successful cakes using other vegetables such as courgettes and also purple beetroot. So I found a recipe but have made adaptations to it to suit our more healthier regime but will put the original ingredients featured in Nadiya Hussain's original recipe.
This cake turned out to be not too sweet and was very moist, and with a tangy frosting on top made the perfect combination of flavour.
Ingredients
For the sponge:
230g self-raising flour (alternatively - you can use 100g ground almonds, together with 130g coconut flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder (Plus a further teaspoon of baking powder if substituting self-raising flour with alternatives)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground mixed spice
200g caster sugar (I used 150g coconut sugar, which was plenty sweet enough)
100g walnuts, chopped, plus extra for topping
Handful of sultanas (optional)
3 medium eggs
150ml sunflower oil
Juice of one orange
500g parsnips, peeled, ends trimmed and coarsely grated
For the frosting:
200g full-fat cream cheese
50g unsalted butter, softened
150g icing sugar (or use Coconut sugar or Rapadura)
Zest of one orange, plus the juice of half an orange
AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO.....
To make the cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C. Grease and line the base of two 20.5cm sandwich tins with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice. Add the caster sugar (or alternative choice) and chopped walnuts, (sultanas, if using) mix through with a wooden spoon, and set aside.
3. Put the eggs and sunflower oil in a different bowl, and beat for a few minutes. Now mix all the dry ingredients into the egg, orange juice and oil mixture, along with the the grated parsnips and orange zest. Mix everything together until you have a thick batter; about 2 minutes.
4. Divide the mixture between the two cake tins, and level it off using a spatula. Bake for approx. 35 minutes if using alteranative flours, (25 -30 mins only required if using self-raising flour). The cakes should be golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.
5. Leave the cakes in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and peel off the baking paper. Leave to cool completely.
To make the frosting:
1. In a bowl, beat the butter with a wooden spoon then add the cream cheese and icing sugar. Beat until it all comes together, but be careful not to overdo it, or the frosting will become runny. Leave the frosting the fridge until you need it, if your kitchen is really warm.
2. Take your cooled cakes and sandwich them together using the frosting. Top the cake with lashings of frosting and sprinkle with walnuts, and some extra orange zest.
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C. Grease and line the base of two 20.5cm sandwich tins with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice. Add the caster sugar (or alternative choice) and chopped walnuts, (sultanas, if using) mix through with a wooden spoon, and set aside.
3. Put the eggs and sunflower oil in a different bowl, and beat for a few minutes. Now mix all the dry ingredients into the egg, orange juice and oil mixture, along with the the grated parsnips and orange zest. Mix everything together until you have a thick batter; about 2 minutes.
4. Divide the mixture between the two cake tins, and level it off using a spatula. Bake for approx. 35 minutes if using alteranative flours, (25 -30 mins only required if using self-raising flour). The cakes should be golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.
5. Leave the cakes in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and peel off the baking paper. Leave to cool completely.
To make the frosting:
1. In a bowl, beat the butter with a wooden spoon then add the cream cheese and icing sugar. Beat until it all comes together, but be careful not to overdo it, or the frosting will become runny. Leave the frosting the fridge until you need it, if your kitchen is really warm.
2. Take your cooled cakes and sandwich them together using the frosting. Top the cake with lashings of frosting and sprinkle with walnuts, and some extra orange zest.