Parsnip Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Before making this cake, I had never eaten a parsnip. For that matter, the humble parsnip had never even received a second look in the grocery from me, lumped (unfairly) in with the bizarre ethnic fruits, beets, and what Wegman's labels as "baby frizzy lettuces." In short, I stuck to what I knew (FOR SURE) to be edible as well as having the highest probability of being eaten by whomever I was feeding. 

However, the day has dawned that I wanted cake. And, more specifically, I wanted some sort of interesting cake, AND, even more specifically, I wanted to make it with elbow grease! 

I got this recipe from "Not Your Mother's Cookbook", which can be found here on Amazon. AND IT WAS DELICIOUS!

You need the following stuff.

-Enough parsnips to grate 4 c. (It took two big ones for me.)

-1 c. fine sugar (I just used granulated, and it was fine.)

-3 eggs

-1/2 c. crushed pineapple

-1 1/3 c. flour

-1 tsp. baking soda

-2 Tbsp. cinnamon

-1 1/4 c. vegetable oil

-1 tsp. vanilla extract

-1/2 tsp. salt

-1/2 c. currants (I used dried...fresh is probably tastier.)

For the frosting:

-1 c. cream cheese

-5 oz. melted butter

-1/2 c. superfine sugar

-the juice and zest of one lemon

(Yes...a cell phone photo...do forgive it. :(  )

1. Grease a 9' springform pan, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2. Grate the parsnips. This can take forever....and really start to develop an ache in your arm after a while. 

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3. Whisk sugar, oil, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. I like using duck eggs for baking , but not because of the novelty. Duck eggs are actually richer tasting, and provide a more flavorful baking experience. 

4. After all the eggs are mixed in, the mix should take on a thick, syrupy quality, and somewhat retain this quality as you mix it. 

5. In another bowl, combine parsnip, flour, salt, baking soda, currants, and the cinnamon. 
6. Put the contents of both bowls....into one bowl....and mix! It will look like a giant bowl of the tastiest oatmeal in the whole world. Don't be fooled! Eating this all at once will most likely make you ill. :(

7. Next, pour this carefully into your springform pan, and bake for 1.5 hrs, or until a wooden stick or cake tester comes out clean. 

Let the cake rest for about twenty minutes after you take it out of the oven, then remove the outer band and slide the cake onto a plate to cool before cutting in half for layers.

To make the frosting, just whip all the ingredients together. Frost when the cake has completely cooled, or you will have a mess on your hands. I made a double batch, because I LOVE FROSTING, and I also wanted enough to put between layers.  However, frosting amount is totally up to you. Although, if I were you, I would make tons...and then eat a lot. This will, like eating batter, make you ill...but, somehow, I managed to justify it. I am thinking you will not find it that hard to do the same.

PS: To cut a clean layer and make sure you lift the top one off in one piece, tape a piece of parchment or wax paper to your knife, then drag it through the cake as you cut. Lifting the paper will result in lifting the top layer. :) Aren't I smart?