Carrot and parsnip cake with rose frosting

Name: Carrot and parsnip cake with rose frosting
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 60 min
Yield: Serves 10–12
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: Butter for greasing; 4 medium free-range eggs; 225ml sunflower oil; 100g soft light brown sugar; 75g caster sugar; 4 tbsp maple syrup; 2 tsp ground ginger; 300g self-raising flour; 1 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 100g pecans, chopped; 2-3 large carrots (about 250g), grated; 1 parsnip (about 100g), grated; Splash milk (optional); Edible flowers to decorate (see Know-how)For the icing; 450g cream cheese; 200ml double cream; Zest and juice ½ lemon; 1 tsp rose water; 1 tsp lemon extract; 75g icing sugar

Easy
May 2014

Easy
May 2014

Serves 10–12
Hands-on time 40 mins, oven time 1 hour 20 min, plus cooling

The perfect teatime treat, with an unusual marriage of flavours that works brilliantly.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 651kcals
Fat: 49.4g (19.7g saturated)
Protein: 7.3g
Carbohydrates: 45.7g (26.4g sugars)
Fibre: 2.7g
Salt: 0.8g

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 651kcals
Fat: 49.4g (19.7g saturated)
Protein: 7.3g
Carbohydrates: 45.7g (26.4g sugars)
Fibre: 2.7g
Salt: 0.8g

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Ingredients

Butter for greasing
4 medium free-range eggs
225ml sunflower oil
100g soft light brown sugar
75g caster sugar
4 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp ground ginger
300g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g pecans, chopped
2-3 large carrots (about 250g), grated
1 parsnip (about 100g), grated
Splash milk (optional)
Edible flowers to decorate (see Know-how)For the icing
450g cream cheese
200ml double cream
Zest and juice ½ lemon
1 tsp rose water
1 tsp lemon extract
75g icing sugar

Butter for greasing
4 medium free-range eggs
225ml sunflower oil
100g soft light brown sugar
75g caster sugar
4 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp ground ginger
300g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g pecans, chopped
2-3 large carrots (about 250g), grated
1 parsnip (about 100g), grated
Splash milk (optional)
Edible flowers to decorate (see Know-how)For the icing
450g cream cheese
200ml double cream
Zest and juice ½ lemon
1 tsp rose water
1 tsp lemon extract
75g icing sugar

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/ gas 4. Grease and line a deep 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Put the eggs, oil, sugars and maple syrup in a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric hand mixer for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is pale and creamy.
Sift the ginger, flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into the sugar mixture, then gently fold through. Add the pecans, carrot and parsnip and gently fold in. If the batter is a little thick, add a splash of milk to bring it to dropping consistency (the point when the batter takes a few seconds to drop off a spoon).
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake on the middle shelf for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer pushed into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the icing, use a clean electric hand mixer to beat the cream cheese and double cream together in a mixing bowl until smooth. Beat in the lemon zest and juice, the rose water and lemon extract, and the icing sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add more icing sugar to taste, if necessary.
Once the cake is cool, use a palette knife to cover it with the icing, then decorate with the edible flowers.

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/ gas 4. Grease and line a deep 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Put the eggs, oil, sugars and maple syrup in a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric hand mixer for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is pale and creamy.
Sift the ginger, flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into the sugar mixture, then gently fold through. Add the pecans, carrot and parsnip and gently fold in. If the batter is a little thick, add a splash of milk to bring it to dropping consistency (the point when the batter takes a few seconds to drop off a spoon).
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake on the middle shelf for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer pushed into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the icing, use a clean electric hand mixer to beat the cream cheese and double cream together in a mixing bowl until smooth. Beat in the lemon zest and juice, the rose water and lemon extract, and the icing sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add more icing sugar to taste, if necessary.
Once the cake is cool, use a palette knife to cover it with the icing, then decorate with the edible flowers.

delicious. tips

The un-iced cake will keep, wrapped well in baking paper and cling film, for a day or two. Once iced, the cake will keep for 2 days in an airtight container in a cool place. You can store it in the fridge, but bring it up to room temperature before serving.
You can freeze the un-iced cake, wrapped well in baking paper and cling film, for up to a month. Defrost fully before icing.
Edible flowers make beautiful cake decorations, but make sure you use ones that haven’t been treated, sprayed or dyed. Ask your florist if they can source natural flowers for you. Some larger supermarkets stock edible flowers in spring and summer, or you can order them online at greensofdevon.com.

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