I am a big fan of carrot cake with a cream cheese icing on top. And every year, I bake it once around the end of winter. This year I thought I change things around and bake parsnip cake instead. After all, they are cousins to each other so it makes sense to swap them out in recipes. The cake is tender, warmly spiced and not too sweet. Topped with citrusy and spiced cream cheese frosting, nuts and raisins its the perfect recipe for the tail end of winter.
Parsnips are a cream colored, tapered root vegetable, closely related to the carrot family of vegetables. When raw, they can be slightly bitter, and when cooked, they are nuttier and sweet but not as sweet as carrots. They are best served cooked, and, in this case, they are baked in a cake. It is not very different to using carrots in baking. Indeed, you can substitute carrot here if you prefer, but the parsnip adds its own unique character to the cake, with a subtle sweet and spicy flavor that no other vegetable can provide. Among the spices used in this recipe are nutmeg and cloves. They add warmth and work quite well with the parsnip. Shredded coconut and raisins add a little bit of a chew, and the citrusy cream cheese frosting provides a wonderful tangy flavor.
My family loved this cake, and my daughter have even asked me to make it again. I made as a 6″ cake, perfect size for our small family (of course you could easily double it or make 2 6″ cakes and layer them up).
If you are interested in experimenting more with parsnips, this sweet and spicy parsnip soup is one of my favorites.
It is no carrot cake but just as good, for those of you who do not like things too sweet.
Ingredients
- 135 g (1 cup) gluten free all purpose flour ( I used a mix of rice flour blend)
- 2-3 parsnip
- 47 g (1/2 cup) unsweetened medium shredded coconut
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup neutral tasting oil or butter
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 125 g cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 tbsp butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup icing sugar
- 1/4 tsp mix of ground cloves and nutmeg
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 drops lemon extract
- toasted walnuts, chopped and few raisins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 6" spring form pan by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly greasing the sides and the parchment paper. .
- Grate the parsnips using a box grater or the shredding disk of a food processor. You need 3/4 of a cup.
- In a bowl combine gluten free all purpose flour, baking powder and unsweetened coconut.Whisk to combine.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oil,sugar and eggs.
- Whisk on high for 3 minutes, until lightened in color.
- Fold in the flour into the wet ingredients. Gently fold the grated parsnips, and the raisins.The mixture will be fairly soft.(if using some other gluten free flour and your batter is hard you can add some milk).
- Spoon the mixture in the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the sides of the spring form pan, and take the cake out, peel off the parchment paper.
- To make the icing, sift the icing sugar in a bowl. Cream the butter, cream cheese and lemon extract until light and fluffy.
- Add icing sugar, lemon juice and ground spices (reserve a tiny pinch to sprinkle on top).
- Mix until everything is incorporated.
- Place the cake on a plate or a cake stand (Cut the top off if your cake is too domed). Spoon icing and spread evenly.
- Scatter walnuts and raisins, sprinkle ground spices.
- This cake tastes even better if allowed to sit one day before serving (I left it out on the counter).
This post is linked to Gluten Free Fridays, Allergy free Wednesdays.
Juliana
This is such a beautiful cake, I have never thought in using parsnip in cake….and the cream cheese layer just add extra flavor to this already delicious cake.
Thanks for the inspiration Balvinder…enjoy your week 🙂
minnie@thelady8home
You are one innovative lady Balvinder. Parsnip in a cake, lovely! This is a beautiful post. Hope you are staying warm.
yummychunklet
What a creative sounding cake!
Bam's Kitchen
wow! This is a really unique cake but I so see how the sweet parsnips would be perfect and who can resisit cream cheese frosting. You are so creative and love this gluten free cake.
Angie@Angie's Recipes
I love to use veggies in the baked goods. This looks super duper delicious!
Kitchen Belleicious
i love this twist on what we love which is carrot cake. I know they are not the same but vry similar and i love the use of the parsnips instead of the carrot. The frosting looks insanely delicious as well
Katerina
That citrus cream cheese definitely adds a kick to this cake!
Shirley Tay (Blackswan)
What a fabulous combination, Balvinder! I reckon the taste is a mix of sweet & a little savoury?? xoxo
Anupama
never ever thought of using parsnip in cake! this is brilliant! must try!
Monica
What a creative use of parsnips! The crumb looks deliciously moist and a 6″ cake is perfect for my family, too.
Sridevi Ravi
Parsnip cake! I have seen parsnip and thought they are related to radish and never bothered to buy them. This recipe prompts me to go for it. You are amazing, Bal! Very creative in baking a cake with it!
shubha
what a brilliant way of using parsnips in a cake.. I recently bought a gluten free all purpose flour blend from NAMASTE Foods.. will try this cake soon