Spiced Parsnip Cake

Mausteinen palsternakka kakku

Tired of carrot cake? then why not give my spiced parsnip cake a try!  Parsnips create a similar moist textured cake as would carrots, but they add a fruity delicious fragrance.  I spiced mine with festive flavours, making this a perfect cake to serve as an alternative to traditional English Christmas cake.  The lemony cream cheese icing cuts through the rich cake, creating the perfect balance.

I discovered this recipe online and veganised it.  The are such a great range of plant based products available these days that it was fairly easy.  I use chia eggs, which work well here as the cake doesn’t have to rise so much.  For those of you unfamiliar with mixed spice, it is literally the taste of British Christmas. You can make your own by mixing 1 tbsp cinnamon,  2 tsp nutmeg, 2 tsp allspice, 1 tsp cloves, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp ground coriander and 1tsp mace.  Although feel free to play around with the proportions if you have a particular favourite.

Spiced Parsnip Cake – serves 8 to 10 people

340 g vegan cream cheese

60 g icing sugar, sifted

zest of 2 lemons

3 tbsp chia seeds

7.5 tbsp water

220 g grated parsnip (around 2 parsnips)

250 g plain flour

2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp mixed spice, plus extra for dusting

a good pinch of salt

180 ml oil

230 ml oat milk

zest of a large orange and 2 tbsp of juice

160 g dark muscovado sugar

100 g regular white sugar

155 g desiccated coconut

100 g rasins

Begin by making the icing as it needs time to refrigerate.  Lightly mix the cream cheese, before adding two thirds of the zest and the icing sugar.  Gently fold in.  If you stir too much the cream cheese will become too soft.  Refrigerate until needed.

Grease and line a 23 cm loose bottomed tin and preheat the oven to 200 degrees c.

Mix the chia seeds and water together to make a chia ‘egg’ and set to one side two thicken (around 10 minutes).

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and salt.  In another bowl whisk together the oil, milk, orange juice and zest and sugar.  Tip into the flour mixture and add the chia egg, grated parsnip, raisins and coconut.  Stir well until fully combined.

Pour into your prepared tin, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes,  (the cake will not rise too much, so don’t worry about the cake sticking too the foil).  Remove the foil and bake for a further 25 – 35 minutes, or until and inserted skewer comes out clean.  Leave to cool completely.

When cool, spread the icing over the top of the cake and sprinkle with the reserved lemon zest and a dusting of mixed spice.