In these cold winter months, comfort food becomes key to survival, yes you can enjoy some delicious salads through the winter but let’s face it, when faced with a choice of salad or a Sunday roast, which are you going for? I’d be willing to bet on the latter, otherwise, this may not be the place for you. I love a good Sunday roast, a plate piled high with all the season’s best veggies & drizzled in gravy (this is my happy place). Now, no good roast is complete without my favourite roasted vegetable present, parsnips. Honey roasted, earthy & sweet, what they lack in colour these winter roots make up for in flavour.
But, have you ever thought about a different use for parsnips? We had a very successful growing season for our parsnips at the allotment this year, leaving me with some absolute monsters to either freeze or use up, I’m talking parsnips nearly as big as my head here! So naturally, I’ve tried a fair few different dishes this winter to use them, but by far my favourite, the standout dish was a really simple parsnip cake. Yes, parsnip goes wonderfully in a cake, if you’re a fan of carrot cake then it’s not too far of a reach. The subtle, earthy sweetness of parsnips adds moisture & deep flavour, making them perfect for this lightly spiced parsnip bundt cake.
PARSNIP BUNDT CAKE
(makes one 10 cup bundt cake)
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 175 light muscovado sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 160ml rapseseed oil
- 80g yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest x1 lemon
- 300g parsnip, grated
- 3 tsp mixed spice
- 240g wholemeal flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 80g pecans
For the frosting:
- 50g cream cheese
- 40g icing sugar
- A little water
Method:
For the cake:
- Begin by adding the sugar, eggs, oil, yogurt, vanilla & lemon zest to a large bowl & whisk together until well combined
- Squeeze any excess juices from the grated parsnip & add them to the bowl, stir through until evenly distributed
- Next, sift the mixed spice, flour & raising agents into the bowl & mix until combined
- Finally, add the pecans & stir these through until evenly distributed
- Pour the mixture into a well greased 10 cup bundt tin & tap the tin on the counter top a few times to release any air bubbles
- Bake the cake at 180C for 40-45 minutes until well risen & a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake can be removed cleanly without any cake batter attached
- Leave the cake to cool in its tin for 10 minutes before releasing a leaving to cool on a cooling rack
For the frosting:
- To make the frosting simply beat together the cream cheese & icing sugar until smooth
- Add enough water until you have a pourable frosting, adding more if you prefer more of a drizzle, less if you want it to thickly cover the cake
- Once the cake is completely cool, pour over the frosting, allowing it to dribble down the sides of the cake
