Parsnip cake

"Vegetables in cakes are an age-old bone of contention. I know people who firmly believe veg belong with gravy on a dinner plate - in fact I used to be one of them, until carrot converted me. Beet and zucchini are widely used too and make good cakes. Parsnip is significantly less common but I thought: ‘why not?’. Carrot cake is so successful and everyone’s favourite, why not the poor cousin? The parsnips have to be grated quire finely and orange needs to be added, otherwise the cake is rather bland. It’s easy though, and forgiving: add raisins and spice for festive cheer or leave it plain. Top with cream cheese frosting so parsnips ape carrots or glaze with some melted apricot jam. Lemon icing. A dusting of icing sugar. Anything goes happily."

Preparation Time15 min

Cooking Time50 min