Nadiya Hussain: Parsnip & Orange Spiced Cake

21st July 2016

Cake – we all like a slice or two don’t we? In this week’s blog, Nadiya Hussain gives us a recipe for parsnip and orange spiced cake, via WH Smith.

Nadiya – winner of The Great British Bake Off – enthuses about this weird and wonderful combination that’s sure to tickle your taste buds during the lazy, hazy days of summer…

Garden-Sq-Cake_BodyImage03

Parsnips Aplenty

Now, before you say it – yes, there are parsnips in this cake. My parents love a good carrot cake, but when it’s the only thing they ask me to bake because they are not adventurous enough for much else . . . well, I had to change it up just for my own creative sanity.

Carrots may give colour, but parsnips add a similar flavour and sweetness with a whole lot more fragrance, so this isn’t as bold and daring as it might sound from the title. It’s a moist and delicious cake, and an excellent alternative to carrot. You could also give this recipe a go with courgette or beetroot. They all add different things and work equally well.

Nadiya Hussain: Parsnip & Orange Spiced Cake

List of Ingredients

230g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground mixed spice
200g caster sugar
100g walnuts, chopped, plus extra for topping
3 medium eggs
150ml sunflower oil
500g parsnips, peeled, ends trimmed and coarsely grated
Zest of 2 oranges, plus extra for decoration

For the Frosting

200g full-fat cream cheese
50g unsalted butter, softened
150g icing sugar
Zest of 1 orange

Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Freeze: Sponges can be frozen

To Make the Cake

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C. Grease and line the base of two 20.5cm sandwich tins with baking paper.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice. Add the caster sugar and chopped walnuts, mix through with a wooden spoon, and set aside.

Put the eggs and sunflower oil in a different bowl, and beat for a few minutes. Now mix all the dry ingredients into the egg and oil mixture, along with the grated parsnips and orange zest. Mix everything together until you have a thick batter; about 2 minutes.

Divide the mixture between the two cake tins, and level it off using a spatula. Bake for 25–30 minutes. The cakes should be golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Leave the cakes in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and peel off the baking paper. Leave to cool completely.

To Make the Frosting

In a bowl, beat the butter with a wooden spoon then add the cream cheese and icing sugar. Beat until it all comes together, but be careful not to overdo it, or the frosting will become runny. Leave the frosting the fridge until you need it, if your kitchen is really warm.