Parsnip – in a cake? I know, but hear me out! This apple and parsnip cake is delicious! Imagine your favourite spiced carrot cake, but made with apple, parsnips and walnuts instead. The parsnip adds an earthiness, the apple adds sweetness and the spices add a delicate flavour. This cake is also a great way to sneak extra vegetables into kids diets as well as it doesn’t taste parsnippy – hooray!
I like to have a slice of this cake with a cup of tea to perk up my afternoons, but this apple and parsnip cake could be served any time. I made it in a loaf tin, but feel free to use a round tin and add in a frosting (I think a zingy lemon, lime or cream cheese frosting would work really well with this!).
This cake is a great way to use up a glut of parsnips if you grow your own.
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Apple and Parsnip Cake
Equipment
- Greaseproof Paper
- Grater
Ingredients
- 170 grams light brown sugar
- 170 grams Stork or unsalted butter
- 200 grams self raising flour
- 3 medium eggs
- 150 grams grated parsnip
- 100 grams grated apple
- 50 grams chopped walnuts
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175ºC. Grease a 2lb loaf tin and line with greaseproof paper.
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl, if you don't have a stand mixer), cream together the Stork and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Crack the eggs in another bowl or jug and add them to the mix, one by one. Mix until well incorporated.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice and mix until just incorporated – don't overmix.
- Grate the parsnips and apple. You will need about 2 medium parsnips and 1 apple, so don't worry if the quantities are out a little – it won't matter, and it's best not to waste food! Add them to the cake mix, together with the walnuts.
- Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, checking after 35 minutes to make sure it's not too brown on top. If it starts to brown too much, pop some foil over the top of it to protect it. You'll know when the cake is cooked as a skewer will come out clean. As every oven is different, baking times can vary.
- When the cake is cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool in its tin for 5-10 minutes. Turn out from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Recipe Variations
Use pecans instead of walnuts if you prefer.
Add a buttercream frosting to the cake – either lemon, lime or cream cheese buttercream would work well. I like to use buttercream as it means the cake doesn’t have to be refrigerated, whereas cream cheese has a shorter timeframe for being at room temperature.
Switch the parsnip to carrot for a delicious variation on carrot cake.
How Long Does This Apple and Parsnip Cake Store?
Stored in an air tight container, this apple and parsnip cake should be good for up to 5 days, and actually tastes better the day after you’ve made it as the spices have time to develop.
You can also pop it in the freezer and save for up to 3 months – simply portion up, and wrap each portion in cling film. That way you can just defrost the amount of cake you need – it should thaw out in an hour or so if left at room temperature. This is a great way to get ahead if you want to make this cake for a party – make it beforehand and pop it into the freezer. I wouldn’t refreeze any leftovers if you did this.
Loaf Cake Recipes
You may like to try this easy Banana Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake recipe as well, or Easy Carrot and Walnut Cake.
