Back in November I made and shared my recipe for Carrot, Root Ginger and Orange Cake, since that time I have had another idea tossing about in my head: To make a parsnip cake. While making the Parsnip biscuits a couple of weeks ago, the combination I wanted came to me:

Parsnip & Apple Cake

10 ozs parsnips, peeled & cut in small dice
1 tablespoon of warmed honey
1 tablespoon vermouth
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ozs Plain Flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
5 fl ozs Sunflower Oil
6 ozs Caster Sugar
3 medium Eggs
3 tablespoons of stewed apple #
Preheat the oven to 200°C
Put the warmed honey, vermouth & 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the parsnip chunks and toss to coat with the oil mixture. Spread on a baking tray in a single layer and roast until golden and soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180°C
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, nutmeg and salt into a bowl.
Place the oil, sugar and eggs in a food processor & whiz to mix well. Add the flour to oil mixture with the stewed apple and whiz once more to combine. Finally add the parsnip dice and stir gently through, then pour into a greased and lined 8 inch tin.* Bake for approx 1 hour and 15 minutes.

For topping:
spread a little of the remaining stewed apple over the top of the cake and sprinkle with demerara sugar.

* I used two loaf tins, one 2lb and a 1lb and reduced the time.

# I like to have a regular supply of stewed apple in my fridge. Since I don’t use butter, stewed apple spread on bread for a sandwich adds moisture and helps the fillings stay in place.