The next chapter from the Vegetable Cake chronicle resumes…
Parsnips
Deliciously sweet roasted in olive oil, mashes wonderfully, texture like velvet.
On my recipe search I came across lots of parsnip cake recipes which I discovered to be somewhat of an old-fashioned English thing. The National Trust having a whole page dedicated to Historic Cake recipes. I decided to adapt a recipe from the Unicorn Grocery website which has lots of exciting vegan cakes. I added some desiccated coconut and reduced the fat content. I figured that the dates & banana would be enough to keep the cake moist.
Despite it’s unattractiveness, this cake is extremely tasty. The date puree gives it a lovely caramel flavour which doesn’t overpower the delicacy of the parsnip. It came out a lot sweeter than my other vegetable cake recipes but as it’s rather heavy, a small slice will do.
Parsnip, Date & Banana Cake (Gluten free & Vegan)
Yields one 8” loaf cake
1 large parsnip, boiled, drained & mashed
3.5oz (100g) stoned dates, roughly chopped
1 banana, mashed
1 tbsp dairy-free margarine or vegetable oil
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup (150g) gluten free flour (I used 1/4 tapioca flour, 1/4 rice flour, 1/4 millet flour)
2 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional)
½ tsp xantham gum
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1. Preheat the oven 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4
2. Place the chopped dates in a saucepan & add enough water to cover (about ¾ cup – 1 cup). Gently heat & stir until the dates have dissolved into a smooth paste.
3. Add the margarine or vegetable oil & stir to melt.
4. Add the mashed banana & mashed parsnips, stir to combine.
5. In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Fold this into the wet ingredients, adding a little water if the batter is too dry.
6. Pour into a greased loaf tin & bake for 45-50 mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
7. Remove & cool on a wire rack.
Wow, its great that you are bringing to life this historic cake. Sounds tasty!
Yum! I love parsnips but haven’t tried them in something sweet yet.
I’m intrigued by this recipe. Parsnips in cake! I have never heard of that before. And I don’t think your cake looks unattractive at all. It looks delicious. Very tempted to give this a try – and that’s coming from someone who hasn’t had much luck with liking parsnips much in the past, but I’m curious to know how this would taste. What an interesting recipe!
Thanks Cassie! Yes, I’d definately recomend trying this – you never know you may become a parsnip convert!
Absolutely delicious and so healthy. This has become a staple in our house. I cook it every week. I often whip this up whenever someone drops in. Everyone is always so surprised by how moist and yummy it is. We often serve it as a loaf, its good spread with a bit of butter (or vegan margarine). I’ve made it with ordinary flour, wholemeal flour and a mix of plain and SR flours. It always comes out great. Failsafe!!!
Oooh, I’m going to have to pass this link on to a vegan friend of mine.