Parsnip and walnut cake

Name: Parsnip and walnut cake
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 3 cups Parsnips, grated (Main); 70 g Walnuts, roughly chopped (Main); 200 g Caster sugar; 2 tsp Cinnamon; 200 g Self raising flour; 4 Eggs, lightly whisked; 2 tsp Vanilla; ½ cup Peanut oil; ½ cup Sunflower oil; 20 g Butter, softened; 200 g Cream cheese, at room temperature (Main); 1 tsp Vanilla; 2 cups Icing sugar; 2 tsp Lemon zest; ¼ cup Walnuts, to decorate

for 8 people

Babiche Martens

Angela Casley

Food writer for Viva

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This parsnip cake is one of the best you’ll ever taste — trust me. It was originally served with a basic lemon icing, but I couldn’t resist making a cream cheese icing and topping with some crunchy nuts. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

For the cake

3 cups	Parsnips, grated (Main)
70 g	Walnuts, roughly chopped (Main)
200 g	Caster sugar
2 tsp	Cinnamon
200 g	Self raising flour
4	Eggs, lightly whisked
2 tsp	Vanilla
½ cup	Peanut oil
½ cup	Sunflower oil

For the icing

20 g	Butter, softened
200 g	Cream cheese, at room temperature (Main)
1 tsp	Vanilla
2 cups	Icing sugar
2 tsp	Lemon zest
¼ cup	Walnuts, to decorate

Directions

Preheat an oven to 170C. Line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper.
Into a large bowl, place the parsnip, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and flour and stir.
Into the whisked eggs, add the vanilla, peanut oil and sunflower oil. Pour into the parsnip, combining well. Pour the cake mix into the tin and pop in the oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin.
Split the cake in half.
To make the icing, beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Add the icing sugar and 1 tsp lemon zest, and combine until the icing is smooth and lump-free.
Place the base of your cake onto a servingplate. Spread with a third of the icing. Place on the top and cover with the remaining icing. Decorate with walnuts and 1 tsp lemon zest.