Parsnips are great, why not in a cake? This was my birthday cake in 2010.

The Cake

• 175g butter
• 250 g demerara sugar
• 100 ml maple syrup
• 3 large eggs
• 250 g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 250 g parsnips , peeled and grated
• 1 medium eating apple , peeled, cored and grated
• 50 g pecans , roughly chopped
• zest and juice 1 small orange

The topping (or filling)

• 250 g tub mascarpone
• 3-4 tbsp maple syrup

1. Heat oven to 180ºC, fan-assisted 160ºC. Grease 2 x 20cm sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Or just use a loaf tin like I did.

2. Melt butter, sugar and maple syrup in a pan over gentle heat, then cool slightly.

3. Whisk the eggs into this mixture, then stir in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice, followed by the grated parsnip, apple, chopped pecans, orange zest and juice.

4. Pour into the tin(s), and bake for 25-30 mins until the tops spring back when pressed lightly.

5. Cool slightly in the tins before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.

6. Just before serving, and absolutely when fully cooled, mix together the mascarpone and maple syrup. Spread over one cake and sandwich with the other or just spread on top if only one tin was used and you don’t fancy cutting it in half! If the mascarpone went in the middle, dust with icing sugar before serving.

Parsnip Birthday Cake