Parsnip and Apple Cake

Serves 8 - 12

175g gluten-free self raising flour
175g gluten-free oat flour
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
pinch salt
2 teaspoons mixed spice
225g light brown sugar
100g dairy free margarine, melted
1 tablespoon white vinegar
250 – 300ml plant-based milk
350g parsnip, grated
85g eating apple, chopped into small pieces

for the Topping
50g butter, at room temperature
60g icing sugar
200g cream cheese
vanilla extract
mixed spice or cinnamon

Dairy free topping – if you are just covering the top, only use half this amount.

150g dairy free margarine
600g icing sugar
vanilla extract
mixed spice or cinnamon

Line an 8 inch cake tin with baking parchment. Preheat oven to 180°c / 160°c fan oven / gas mark 4.

Weigh the gluten-free plain flour, gluten-free oat flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl. Stir together then sift at least twice to fully distribute the baking powder. Alternatively blend together in a food processor.

Stir in the light brown sugar.

Melt the dairy-free margarine. Add the plant-based milk and vinegar. Stir into the dry ingredients.

Stir in the grated parsnip and chopped apple. The mixture should be the consistency of a smooth thick batter. Add a little more plant-based milk if needed.

Pour into the cake tin and bake for about 30 minutes until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Leave to cool for 15 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a plate then onto a cooling wire so it cools the right way up ( The sponge could break in half if you leave it to cool upside down).

For the topping – when the cake has cooled, beat the dairy-free margarine together with the icing sugar. This is easier if you use a food mixer with a beater attachment or use a hand held mixer. Add the dairy-free cream cheese and beat until smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract and mixed spice or cinnamon to taste. Store finished cake in the fridge.

If using the alternative recipe –

Mix the icing sugar into the dairy-free margarine, a little at a time. Do not overbeat the mixture or it may split. Stir in a few drops of cooled boiled water until it reaches the required consistency. Mix in the vanilla extract and mixed spice or cinnamon to taste.
This is a lot of icing sugar. If you use less icing sugar to margarine, the mixture may split. Add a little extra flavouring to this buttercream. *see note.

Spread onto the top and sides of the cake with a pallet knife.

In all recipes requiring self-raising gluten-free flour, I advise stirring the flours together with the gluten-free baking powder then sift at least twice to fully distribute the baking powder. Alternatively blend together in a food processor.

Gluten free cakes are crumblier than other cakes but taste just as good. To cut neat slices, dip a serrated knife in hot water and wipe clean between slices.

You can make your own gluten-free oat flour by blending gluten-free oats in a food processor until fine. This may not turn out as fine as shop bought but is not as expensive!

For dairy-free buttercream: Most dairy-free margarine is quite soft. You will need to add four times as much icing sugar to the dairy-free margarine or it will split. I recommend using Naturli block margarine, you will only need twice as much icing sugar to the block margarine. It is a lot tastier and doesn’t contain palm oil.

If the cake is a little stodgy, add a little extra plant-based milk next time you make it.

www.icedgembakes.co.uk