Orange and Parsnip Cake

I am going to make a parsnip and orange cake tomorrow.  I made it for the first time last year and it is a good way to use parsnips up as I do not like soup much.  Around here supermarkets have been giving parsnips away free as they have not been able to sell them at Christmas. It is based on Nadia’s recipe.

RECIPE

115g SR flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

100g sugar

50g chopped walnuts

2 medium eggs

75ml sunflower oil

250g grated and peeled parsnips (better if grated finely)

Zest from an orange

Icing

100g full fat cream cheese

25g butter

90g icing sugar

1. Put the oven on at 180⁰C or 160⁰C fan.
2. Line an 8×8 inch square tin.
3. Put the flour, spices and baking powder in a bowl and mix. Add the sugar and the chopped walnuts and mix.
4. In a different bowl put the eggs and oil and whisk for a few minutes.
5. Put the dry ingredients into the eggs and oil and mix.
6. Add the grated parsnip and mix.
7. Put into the tin and smooth the top and bake for 25 to 30 mins until a skewer comes out dry.
8. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins and then turn out onto a rack.
9. Make the icing by mixing the butter, cream cheese and icing sugar.
10. Spread on the cake when cool and grate some orange zest on top. You can also put some chopped walnuts on the top if you wish.

I like making traybakes out of vegetables as I can con myself that I am eating my 5 a day when I have a slice. The cake tastes really nice.  I had not grated the parsnip fine enough in the cake I made in the picture and it was nicer grated more finely in the next cake I made.  I  added extra zest to my icing as I don’t like the taste of cream cheese. Mr S hates parsnips but had a second piece 😊. I am going to make another one next  week with the rest of my parsnips and freeze it in squares to have throughout February.