Parsnip Olive Oil Cake

by LEON BOUTEILLER

Spring is coming with warmer days. With that warming, my mind will think about warm weather foods. Locally grown early season vegetables and a different attitude about the menu. I still think of cold weather and winter vegetables. Parsnips in particular. They have a distinctive flavor that may be offensive to some, delectable to others. It is an overlooked root vegetable and has many uses. Parsnips are delicious roasted or with other root vegetables like carrots, onions and turnips. Boiled with potatoes, they add a nuance of flavor to a mash and can be used to replace carrots in some recipes like carrot cake This is how they are used today.

I researched some recipes to decide on a simple dessert without a lot of sugar and to include some vegetable and/or fruit. It could also be a breakfast item or a snack. I ran across an old recipe for a Tuscan olive oil cake which used olive oil to replace butter or shortening. This made me think of the similarities to most carrot cake recipes that call for a neutral oil instead of butter. On the one hand, butter adds a richness of flavor. Neutral oil adds moisture but no flavor. Olive oil adds both moisture and flavor. Olive oil also has the benefit of adding a significant amount of polyphenols, an important nutritional ingredient for good health.

Here is a recipe that combines both carrot cake and Tuscan olive oil cake. Carrot cake usually has raisins or pineapple or nuts, all of which I have not included. Unlike most carrot cake recipes, I do not use a cream cheese frosting, though that remains an option. I opted for a little powdered sugar to decorate the cake. Simple and easy is my goal.

If you don’t have a ten inch springform pan, you can use a ten inch cake pan or even a well oiled cast iron pan. The batter can also be divided in half and baked in two separate cake pans and assembled into a two layer cake with frosting. Just remember to adjust the cooking time to about 30 minutes.

PARSNIP OLIVE OIL CAKE
Makes one 10 inch round

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 ½ cups shredded parsnips, peel them first
½ cup applesauce
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Powdered sugar for dusting

Method:

In a bowl, blend together the flour, wheat germ, baking powder and soda, salt, and cardamom
In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and oil along with the brown sugar until well incorporated and foamy
Beat in the applesauce, yogurt, vanilla and zest
Blend the dry ingredients into the wet mixture
Fold in the shredded parsnips. It will look rather heavy, but the parsnips will provide the extra moisture that the cake will need
Pour into a buttered and floured 10 inch springform pan lined with parchment paper on the bottom
Bake in a 350F degree oven for approximately 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs on it
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to completely cool
Dust with powdered sugar, cut into wedges and serve

This recipe can be viewed as a simplified carrot cake made with parsnips or an olive oil cake with the addition of parsnips. Either way you look at it, you’ll find it easy to prepare, delicious and versatile. Serve it with a cup of coffee or for dessert with some fresh berries and whipped cream.

Enjoy!