Parsnip Ginger and Lime Cake (tasted & approved by Paul Hollywood & Alan Titchmarsh - well they didn't complain)

This is the cake I baked when I was on the Alan Titchmarsh show - see blogpost from March 2012, My fifteen minutes of fame


Ingredients (cake)

• 400g peeled & grated parsnips
• Zest & juice of 3 limes
• Plus an extra 2 dessert spoons of lime juice
• 350g golden caster sugar
• 250g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• 250ml sunflower oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 rounded dessert spoons glacé ginger

Ingredients (topping)

• 300g tub Philadelphia soft cheese
• Zest & juice of 2 limes
• Icing sugar

Oven 175 degrees (fan assisted)
Line 2 x 9ins round tins (I only have 7 ins tins, so I line the base & sides quite high (about an inch above the tin)

Method

1. In 1 bowl mix grated parsnip, lime zest & juice.
2. In another bowl blend the following (in this order): sugar, flour, baking powder, ground ginger, salt and sunflower oil. Then add the eggs, 1 at a time, Parsnip & lime, finally the vanilla essence and glace ginger.
3. Mix well, then divide between 2 tins and bake.
4. The original recipe advises it could take up to 40mins (mine took 25mins then turned the tins & another 10-15mins).  Just keep adding another 10mins and check with a skewer.
5. Leave in the tin for 10mins before removing and cooling on a rack.
6. The filling is made by mixing the cream cheese, icing sugar, lime zest & juice to taste.
7. Use some of the cream cheese to fill the cake & some as topping, the topping can be simply topping or fancy all the way round. It’s just harder to manoeuvre when it’s totally covered in cream cheese icing.
8. Finish with more lime zest.
9. And if you’re feeling even posher you could do caramelised Parsnip ribbons (peel strips of Parsnip, put in an oven tray, sprinkle its sugar & put in a moderately hot oven until they crisp & curly)
10. Keep cake in fridge until needed.
11. Enjoy with a cuppa.

Adapted from www.alanbartlettandsons.co.uk – see the Parsnip & Lemon Cake http://www.alanbartlettandsons.co.uk/pdfs/parsnipandlemoncake.pdf