Spiced Parsnip Cake with Orange Blossom Honey

Baking therapy plus a dose of sunshine. Spiced parsnip cake simply delicious (walnuts optional).

Ingredients

400g parsnips peeled and grated
150ml sunflower oil
225g golden caster sugar
3 eggs
225g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp nutmeg
1½ tsp mixed spice
1½ tsp cinnamon
1 orange, zested 
2 tbsp orange blossom honey 
100g walnuts, chopped

Icing
250g cream cheese
175g softened butter 
200g (sifted) icing sugar 

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C 

Grease and line the base and sides of two 20.5cm (8in) cake tin with parchment paper. 

In a bowl place the grated parsnips, orange zest and orange blossom honey, stir together. Add the eggs, sugar, oil, chopped walnuts into the bowl and combine. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices to the bowl and mix to combine. Scrape the mixture into the prepared tins, level and bake for 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool. Remove from tins and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the icing place in a large bowl, beat the softened butter, until completely smooth, then add the room-temperature cream cheese and mix to combine. Beat until smooth. Sift over the icing sugar and mix (carefully at first, as otherwise there will be clouds of icing sugar) until smooth and fluffy. 

Use half the icing to sandwich the cake together and place on a cake stand. Spread remaining icing over the top of the cake. 

Cook’s note - substitute any runny honey for the orange blossom honey.