Parsnip & cardamom loaf cake

Name: Parsnip & cardamom loaf cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 20 cardamom pods; 220 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing; 170 g light brown soft sugar; 3 medium free range eggs; 170 g self-raising flour; 1½ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp salt; 1½ tsp ground nutmeg, plus extra for decorating; 200 g parsnips, peeled and grated; 60 g walnuts, roughly chopped; 50 g icing sugar, sifted; 100 g soft cheese, at room temperature

Love carrot cake? Then it's time to start putting parsnips in your cakes. The nutty flavour pairs beautifully with nutmeg and cardamom and adds a subtly chewy texture (in a nice way). Roll up your sleeves with more of our baking recipes.

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Vegetarian

Serves8
CourseCake
Prepare25 mins
Cook45 mins
Total time1 hr 10 mins
Pluscooling

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20 cardamom pods
220g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
170g light brown soft sugar
3 medium free range eggs
170g self-raising flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1½ tsp ground nutmeg, plus extra for decorating
200g parsnips, peeled and grated
60g walnuts, roughly chopped
50g icing sugar, sifted
100g soft cheese, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/170ºC fan/gas 5. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Use a pestle and mortar to remove the outer layer of the cardamom pods and grind the seeds inside. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to cream 170g butter and the brown sugar together for about 3 minutes, until light and uffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each. Sift in the our, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and three-quarters of the ground cardamom. Fold in the parsnips and 40g walnuts, then transfer to the loaf tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven, cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cake cools, toast the remaining walnuts over a low heat in a dry frying pan for 6-8 minutes until golden and fragrant, then set aside to cool.
For the icing, beat together the remaining butter, icing sugar and cardamom until smooth and thick. Whisk in the soft cheese – don’t overmix or it will make your icing runny. Spread the icing over the cooled cake (or put it in a piping bag and pipe it on). Top with the toasted walnuts and some ground nutmeg.

Cook’s tip

Ahead of the game
You can bake the cake and store in an airtight container (or freeze) up to 24 hours in advance. Defrost, if needed, then ice on the day of eating.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe