WHAT kind of cake?! Wait!............... Before you turn your nose up at this recipe or click over to another blog, let me ask you one question......................
Do you like carrot cake?.................... I thought so............. then you are going to LOVE this cake! Parsnips are a delicious, often neglected vegetable that are fabulous in a host of different variations from a wonderful side roasted and caramelized to a yummy addition to mashed potatoes to a fabulous combo with carrots and/or turnips to one of the best cakes you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting!
This cake is delicious on it's own with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar but the Maple/Cream Cheese Glaze takes it to upper echelons of caked! This is a perfect cake to make ahead and stash in your freezer (Did you clean it out?) then during the holiday season, when you have unexpected guests or are in a pinch preparing for a dinner party, pull this fabulous Parsnip/Pecan Pound Cake out of the freezer early in the day - you'll thank yourself profusely!
Oh, and if your guests are feeling a bit guilty about eating dessert, just remind them that you're
helping them with their daily veggie requirement! :)
Parsnip/Pecan Pound Cake w/ Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients for the cake:
½ cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
4 eggs
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup grated parsnips, packed
1 ¼ cups peeled, diced apple, packed
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
½ cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
4 eggs
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup grated parsnips, packed
1 ¼ cups peeled, diced apple, packed
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
Ingredients for the glaze:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 ½ cups powdered sugar, might need more
2 teaspoon vanilla, almond, or lemon)
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 ½ cups powdered sugar, might need more
2 teaspoon vanilla, almond, or lemon)
Directions for the cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray a large Bunt pan* with baking spray. Make sure all the nooks and crannies are well coated!
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars with electric mixer. Slowly add oil and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract.
3. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to wet mixture.
4. Stir in parsnips, apples and pecans.
5. Pour into a bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean Cool for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto cooling rack. Cool for 30 minutes longer before glazing.
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray a large Bunt pan* with baking spray. Make sure all the nooks and crannies are well coated!
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars with electric mixer. Slowly add oil and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract.
3. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to wet mixture.
4. Stir in parsnips, apples and pecans.
5. Pour into a bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean Cool for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto cooling rack. Cool for 30 minutes longer before glazing.
Directions for the glaze:
1. Combine cream cheese and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for one minute or until butter is melted. Whisk until smooth. Add milk and vanilla and whisk again. Add powdered sugar and mix very well until all lumps disappear. Drizzle slowly over cake letting glaze drip down the sides. Let cool completely before serving or freezing.
1. Combine cream cheese and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for one minute or until butter is melted. Whisk until smooth. Add milk and vanilla and whisk again. Add powdered sugar and mix very well until all lumps disappear. Drizzle slowly over cake letting glaze drip down the sides. Let cool completely before serving or freezing.
Notes:
*I gave this recipe to a friend a number of years back- her Bundt pan was smaller than mine and she had quite a mess in her oven after the cake started rising. I measured my pan and it holds 15 cups of water to the brim - if your pan is a lot smaller than this, you might want to divide the batter and make a second small loaf cake.
*I gave this recipe to a friend a number of years back- her Bundt pan was smaller than mine and she had quite a mess in her oven after the cake started rising. I measured my pan and it holds 15 cups of water to the brim - if your pan is a lot smaller than this, you might want to divide the batter and make a second small loaf cake.
I like carrot cake :) I'm going to save this recipe, the parsnip caught my attention! Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteI actually took your advice and yesterday took everything out of my freezer, defrosted it, threw out the unidentified objects, made and inventory and organised it all back in there. It was such a sense of achievement and I think I have enough food in there to last us a few weeks!
ReplyDeleteI'll trust you on this I can see how they would taste pretty good in a cake.
OMG!! You don't know how happy I was when I found your post on this recipe. I bought parsnip today. I have not tasted parsnip and I bought out of curiosity. I do not know what to do with it so I was searching the net and I found you!! I am going to make this cake and I know I am going to LOVE it because I LOVE carrot cake a lot! Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me to clean out my freezer Chris. Now about that glaze flowing down the sides of your cake and pooling at the bottom....yummy cakeness! I will gladly give parsnips a shot but my family would remain clueless.
ReplyDeleteI totally love the way you "arrange" the glaze on this cake. Looks decadent without fancy decorating.
ReplyDeleteHow perfect is this? I've never used parsnips for baking and I am really intrigued. It certainly looks delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeletePinned! I'm definitely going to make this. I will also probably freeze it for when I really, really need it. It looks amazing. I love the maple cream cheese glaze. Love it.
ReplyDeleteIt may be unusual, but it looks delicious. I bet my family would never guess there are parsnips in there. And all that yummy frosting...fantastic.
ReplyDeletewho would have thought parsnips, but you do have a point if you like carrots then this should be a good one too. I do like your glaze, looks lovely.
ReplyDeleteHi again! I baked this cake today and it was great. Both my husband and I liked it a lot!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks Hovkonditorn! I'm so glad you enjoyed it - I had to have my husband take the rest of ours to work with him as it was just too enticing to have under the cake dome!
ReplyDelete