Parsnip and Apple Cake

Serves 8 - 12

for the Cake
125g gluten-free plain flour
120g gluten-free oat flour
3 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
4 teaspoons mixed spice or cinnamon
pinch salt
350g parsnip, grated
85g eating apple, chopped into small pieces
215ml sunflower oil
4 large eggs
250g soft light brown sugar
a few drops of vanilla extract

for the Topping
50g dairy-free margarine
60g icing sugar
200g dairy-free cream cheese
vanilla extract
mixed spice or cinnamon

Alternative dairy free icing – 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

Preheat oven to 180°c / 160°c fan oven / 350°f / gas mark 4.
Grease and line an 8inch round cake tin with greaseproof paper.

Weigh the gluten-free plain flour, gluten-free oat flour, baking powder 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.

Measure the sunflower oil, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until paler in colour then stir in the flour mixture.

Stir in the grated parsnip and chopped apple.
Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a plate. Now turn this onto the cooling wire so the cake cools the right way up or it could break in half.

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

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 like to use Naturli block margarine as it is a firmer margarine. You only need twice as much icing sugar to this block margarine. It is a lot tastier and doesn’t contain palm oil.

www.icedgembakes.co.uk