Meet parsnip cake, carrot cake's sweet, blond cousin.
Parsnip Cake
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 large parsnips, peeled, grated on small shredding holes
1 apple, peeled, cored, grated on large shredding holes
3 eggs
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
1/2 cup toasted and chopped pecans
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large saucepan, melt butter, both types of sugar and maple syrup. Cool slightly. Stir in remaining ingredients, except frosting and pecans.
Butter 2 (8-inch) square or 2 (9-inch) round pans. Pour in batter. Bake until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans, 10 minutes. Turn out and cool completely.
Spread the top of one layer with half the frosting. Stack on the second layer and spread the top with remaining frosting (leave sides of cake bare). Sprinkle with pecans.
Makes 8 servings.
Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and milk.
Adapted from Good Food magazine
Food on 02/22/2017