GOLDEN PARSNIP SPONGE
Parsnip Party!
What to do with parsnips? That is the question! If you're like me and not a huge fan of it in soups or roasted as part of a Sunday roast, then here's a recipe for you. It's sweet notes work a treat in this cake. Sneaking in vegetables in cakes is definitely becoming a specialty of mine. I love it, aside from the nutritional content of vegetables, it adds much needed moisture to cakes. Dry cake anyone? No thank you I'd rather my cake be lovely and moist.
As always, this cake is totally gluten-free and refined sugar-free. This golden beauty is even dairy-free as I've used olive oil as the "fat" for this cake. Topped with the smooth and unctuous orange blossom yoghurt icing it is simply divine. So if you've been receiving bucket loads of parsnips in your Abel & Cole boxes recently (like me), then here's an idea to use them up in a fruitful way.
Parsnippy love,
Marie
Spiced Parsnip Cake
Serves 8
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 pinch clove
- 1 pinch salt
- 250g (2 small/medium) parsnips
- 1 orange, zest
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup / 160 ml honey or maple syrup
- 3/4 cup / 160 ml cold-pressed olive oil
Icing:
- 1 cup of organic creme fraiche or full fat greek yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Grease the sides and base of a Guggelhopf silicone cake tin if you have one (otherwise a regular round 20-22 cm / 8-9 inches springform tin) with olive oil. Sift together the flours, baking powder and spices.
2. Peel and grate the parsnips (you can keep the peel on if you use organic) and zest the orange.
3. Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
4. Pour the batter into your cake tin. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until golden and a wooden skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool before before removing it from the springform tin.
5. Make the icing by stirring together creme fraiche or yoghurt with maple syrup and orange blossom water. Spread the icing over the cake when it has cooled completely. Garnish with orange zest.
