Name: Parsnip & Maple Syrup Cake
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 325 g Self raising flour; 200 g Light brown sugar; 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon; 2 tsp Mixed spice; 1/2 tsp Ground ginger; 1 tsp Baking Powder; 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda; 235 g Vegetable oil; 125 ml Maple Syrup; 4 Eggs (large); 250 g Parsnips (grated (about 3 medium parnips)); 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 50 g Pecans (chopped); 250 g Mascarpone; 3 tbsp Maple Syrup

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This Parsnip & Maple Syrup Cake is a great way to use up leftover parsnips after a Sunday lunch or Christmas dinner. If you've not tried a parsnip cake before, it's similar to a carrot or courgette cake. The parsnips add sweetness and moisture to the sponge, but you can't taste them at all. This cake also contains lots of autumnal spices for delicious flavour, brown sugar for a hint of caramel and pecans for some nutty texture. The filling is a simple maple syrup sweetened mascarpone. It's the perfect fresh and creamy compliment to the spiced sponge. If you're looking for a cake recipe with minimal decoration, where the cake itself really shines, then this is the perfect option!

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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients for the cake (particularly the eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
You can use a different type of oil besides vegetable oil. I'd recommend one that doesn't have a strong flavour, canola and sunflower oil would both work well.
Mixed spice is a British spice blend containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento and ginger. If you can't get hold of it, you can use a mix of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, or use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead.
I really recommend using light brown soft sugar if you can, as it gives the cake a lovely caramel flavour. But if you can't get hold of it, you can use golden caster sugar or regular caster sugar (superfine sugar) instead.
If you like, you can swap the pecans for walnuts, or another nut of your choice. You can also omit the pecans to make this a nut free cake.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Parsnip & Maple Syrup Cake

Stir together self raising flour, light brown sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, mixed spice and ground ginger in a mixing bowl. In another bowl whisk the maple syrup, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla together, then whisk them into the bowl of flour.

Stir in the grated parsnip and chopped pecans, then divide the mixture between the cake tins and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Leave the cakes to cool. Mix the maple syrup into the mascarpone and spread over one of the cakes, add the second cake on top and dust with icing sugar to finish.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

What is the best way to prepare the parsnips?

If you have a food processor with a grater attachment then that's the quickest and most effortless way to prepare them. A manual grater works really well too, and it only takes a few minutes.

Can you use plain/all purpose flour instead?

Yes! If you want to use plain flour (instead of self raising flour) then you will need to add 3 additional teaspoons of baking powder to the recipe. Make sure they are level teaspoons (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with).

Can you make this cake in different size tins?

Yes! Check out my conversion guide to find out how to adjust the recipe.

How long does the cake last for and can it be frozen?

The cake will last for 3-4 days in an airtight container, it needs to be stored in the fridge when it is filled with the mascarpone, but unfilled it can be stored in a cool place. You can freeze the cake sponges unfilled too. To freeze them, wrap the cakes well in cling film, either separately or together with some baking paper between each sponge.

Can this cake be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 3 teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ½ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. The cake is already dairy free, for a dairy free version of the filling, use a dairy free alternative to mascarpone or cream cheese. Please check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?

You don't need an electric mixer for the cake, in fact I prefer to use a hand whisk for this type of cake. If you need to use an electric mixer, use the paddle attachment on a low speed and be careful not to over mix. For the filling, I do recommend using an electric mixer for the best results. You don't have to use an expensive stand mixer either, you can get electric hand whisks for as little as £10!

More tips for making the Parsnip & Maple Syrup Cake:

If you want this cake to be nut free you can omit the pecans.
You could also swap the pecans for walnuts or hazelnuts if you prefer.
If you don't have light brown sugar, you can also use regular caster sugar.
Mixed spice is a British spice blend containing Cinnamon, Coriander Seed, Nutmeg, Clove, Pimento, Ginger. If you can't get hold of it, use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead.

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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