Parsnip and Orange Spiced Cake
A wonderful parsnip and orange spiced cake recipe from Great British Bake Off winner, Nadiya Hussain. This veg-packed layer cake makes for a delicious afternoon treat.
From the book
Nadiya’s Kitchen
Over 100 recipes for Nadiya's favourite home-cooked dishes
Fuss-free inspiration for every day of the week
Traditional family classics with a twist
Introduction
Now, before you say it – yes, there are parsnips in this cake. My parents love a good carrot cake, but when it’s the only thing they ask me to bake because they are not adventurous enough for much else… well, I had to change it up just for my own creative sanity. Carrots may give colour, but parsnips add a similar flavour and sweetness with a whole lot more fragrance, so this isn’t as bold and daring as it might sound from the title. It’s a moist and delicious cake, and an excellent alternative to carrot. You could also give this recipe a go with courgette or beetroot. They all add different things and work equally well.
Prep: 25 minutes Cook: 30 minutes Sponges can be frozen
Ingredients
| For the sponge: | |
| 230g | self-raising flour |
| 1 tsp | baking powder |
| 1 tsp | ground cinnamon |
| 1/2 tsp | ground nutmeg |
| 2 tsp | ground mixed spice |
| 200g | caster sugar |
| 100g | walnuts, chopped, plus extra for topping |
| 3 | medium eggs |
| 150ml | sunflower oil |
| 500g | parsnips, peeled, ends trimmed and coarsely grated |
| 2 | oranges, zest, plus extra for decoration |
| For the frosting: | |
| 200g | full-fat cream cheese |
| 50g | unsalted butter, softened |
| 150g | icing sugar |
| 1 | orange, zest |
Essential kit
You will need two 20.5cm sandwich tins.
Method
To make the cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C. Grease and line the base of two 20.5cm sandwich tins with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice. Add the caster sugar and chopped walnuts, mix through with a wooden spoon, and set aside.
3. Put the eggs and sunflower oil in a different bowl, and beat for a few minutes. Now mix all the dry ingredients into the egg and oil mixture, along with the the grated parsnips and orange zest. Mix everything together until you have a thick batter; about 2 minutes.
4. Divide the mixture between the two cake tins, and level it off using a spatula. Bake for 25–30 minutes. The cakes should be golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.
5. Leave the cakes in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and peel off the baking paper. Leave to cool completely.
To make the frosting:
1. In a bowl, beat the butter with a wooden spoon then add the cream cheese and icing sugar. Beat until it all comes together, but be careful not to overdo it, or the frosting will become runny. Leave the frosting the fridge until you need it, if your kitchen is really warm.
2. Take your cooled cakes and sandwich them together using the frosting. Top the cake with lashings of frosting and sprinkle with walnuts, and some extra orange zest.
