The best way ever to get one of your five a day, or a crime against baking? You decide.
Here at Country Life, we don’t shy away from publishing ideas or opinions proffered by our contributors, and we’re quite prepared to get the odd missive from a reader who may not agree with the sentiment being shared.
It’s not often, however, that the article in question is a recipe.
That’s right: while barely an eyebrow has been raised by Carla Carlisle’s latest take on the election across The Pond, or Agromenes weighing in on the intersection between politics and farming, a cake recipe from our kitchen garden cook Melanie Johnson caused a stir — at least in one corner of South Yorkshire.
‘My husband declared that parsnip cake with maple cream-cheese frosting was “grounds for divorce”!’ writes Ann Warburton in the letters page of the print magazine on November 13th.
Not to poke the bull yet further, but Mr Warburton’s attitude does seem a little off the mark. If carrot cake ‘is a thing’, as people say today, then why not parsnip cake? Indeed, let’s call it ‘the new carrot cake’ and have done. On top of everything else, this seems like the best way ever to tick off one of your five a day. Enjoy.
Recipe: Spiced parsnip cake with maple cream-cheese frosting
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 200g light muscovado sugar
- 175g melted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 250g parsnips, peeled and grated
- 100g sultanas
- 75g walnuts, chopped
- 1 orange, zest of
- 200g self-raising flour
- 1tspn ground cinnamon
- ½tspn ground ginger
- ¼tspn ground nutmeg
- 1tspn baking powder
- ½tspn bicarbonate of soda
For the frosting
- 100g unsalted butter, softened
- 200g full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 300g icing sugar, sifted
- 3tbspn pure maple syrup
- 1tspn vanilla-bean paste
Method
Preheat the oven to 160˚C fan/180˚C/350˚F/gas mark 4. Grease and line two 20cm (8in) round cake tins with baking parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter and eggs until smooth and well combined. Stir in the grated parsnips, sultanas, chopped walnuts and orange zest. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the cake mix until fully incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until the cakes are golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the sponges to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add and mix in the sifted icing sugar. Once all the icing sugar is incorporated, stir in the maple syrup and vanilla until the frosting is light and fluffy.
To assemble the cake, place one sponge layer on a serving plate and spread a generous amount of frosting over. Place the second layer on top and spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake. You could decorate with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts and/or a drizzle of maple syrup.
