About the bake
Yes, there are parsnips in this cake. You've probably eaten carrot cake before, and whilst carrots give colour, parsnips add a similar flavour and sweetness with a whole lot more fragrance. It’s a moist and delicious cake, and a great alternative to carrot. You could also give this recipe a go with courgette or beetroot if you fancy it. They all add different things and work equally well. Thank you to Nadiya Hussain for the recipe.
Method
Step 1:
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C. Grease and line the base of two 20.5cm sandwich tins with baking paper.
Step 2:
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice. Add the caster sugar and chopped walnuts, mix through with a wooden spoon, and set aside.
Step 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 and oil mixture, along with the grated parsnips and orange zest. Mix everything together until you have a thick batter; about 2 minutes.
Step 4:
Divide the mixture between the two cake tins, and level it off using a spatula. Bake for 25–30 minutes. The cakes should be golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.
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.Step 5:
To make the frosting: 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 in the fridge until you need it, if your kitchen is really warm.Step 6:
Leave the frosting in the fridge until you need it, if your kitchen is really warm.
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.
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 230g Self-raising white flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon (ground)
- 1 tsp Nutmeg (ground)
- 2 tsp Mixed spice (ground)
- 200g Silver Spoon White caster sugar
- 100g Walnuts (chopped, plus extra for topping)
- 3 Egg(s) (free range) (medium size)
- 150ml Oil (sun flower oil)
- 500g Parsnip(s) (peeled, ends trimmed and coarsely grated)
- 2 Orange zest (2 oranges worth, plus extra for decoration)
- 230g Self-raising white flour
For the frosting
- 50g Butter (unsalted) (softened)
- 200g Cream cheese (full fat)
- 150g Icing sugar
- 1 Orange zest (use 1 orange worth)
Recipe Reviews
I love this and several other parsnip cake recipes.
I started making cake with parsnip many years ago.
This is one of my top 3 recipes I have used.
I love carrot cake, but I love Parsnip cake even better.
This comes out very well.
Lovely moist cake. All the family really enjoyed this and I will definitely be making it again.
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 230g Self-raising white flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon (ground)
- 1 tsp Nutmeg (ground)
- 2 tsp Mixed spice (ground)
- 200g Silver Spoon White caster sugar
- 100g Walnuts (chopped, plus extra for topping)
- 3 Egg(s) (free range) (medium size)
- 150ml Oil (sun flower oil)
- 500g Parsnip(s) (peeled, ends trimmed and coarsely grated)
- 2 Orange zest (2 oranges worth, plus extra for decoration)
- 230g Self-raising white flour
For the frosting
- 50g Butter (unsalted) (softened)
- 200g Cream cheese (full fat)
- 150g Icing sugar
- 1 Orange zest (use 1 orange worth)