Orange Parsnip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Orange Parsnip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup raisins; 3-4 parsnips; 3/4 cup shelled pistachios; 2 oranges; 1 1/2 cups flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg; 2/3 cup olive oil; 2 large eggs; 3/4 cup brown sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature; 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature; 3-4 cups powdered sugar

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Carrot cake fans will love this easy recipe for Orange Parsnip Cake. Topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting and finished with salted pistachios for added crunch, this cake is a flavor-packed treat for any occasion.

parsnip cake covered with oranges and pistachios

Parsnips are a lot like carrots. They're from the same plant family, have a similar shape and structure, and have a knack for working well in sweets like cake. Their nutty and earthy flavor helps balance to add depth and complexity that cake often lacks.

But if you're not convinced about putting parsnips in your cake, consider it an opportunity to eat your vegetables without actually having to eat vegetables-because it's cake.

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🍊Ingredients
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
🔪Instructions
🥄Equipment
🍰Storage
📋Top tip
💭FAQ
🍵Pairing
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

If nothing else, you can serve your friends a slice of this cake and take it as an opportunity to educate them about the mostly unknown parsnip. I'm sure they would love to know how, in some cultures, parsnips symbolize luck, how parsnips become sweeter when left to grow in the ground during a frost, and that, at one point in Europe, parsnips were more common than potatoes and carrots.

If you like the sound of not-too-sweet, earthy-flavored cakes, you'll also want to check out my Rhubarb Breakfast Cake, Carrot Date Cake, and Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake. And if you need a tasty beverage to serve with a slice of your cake, try a glass of Blueberry Lavender Lemonade, Honey Citrus Mint Tea, or Thai Iced Coffee.

🍊Ingredients

The ingredients in this parsnip cake offer a full spectrum of flavor. Sweet, salty, earthy and tangy.

Key Ingredients

Parsnips are available year-round in most grocery stores, though they're most common from fall to winter and into early spring. Choose small to medium-sized parsnips that are firm and not shriveled or soft. If you don't use them immediately, don't worry; they can be stored in your fridge for up to a few weeks.
Cream cheese is used to make the cream cheese frosting. Full-fat cream cheese will give you a creamier and richer frosting, and letting it warm slightly to room temperature will help it blend smoother.
Pistachios coat the sides of the cake. Unless you have plenty of time, opt for shelled pistachios. For this cake, I like the salted and roasted kind you can find in the snacking nut section of the grocery store.
Olive oil is the source of fat in this cake and lends another level of earthiness. Opt for an everyday, mild-tasting olive oil. There is no need for anything fancy.
Raisins help keep the cake moist. They're plumped in hot water before being added to the cake batter.
Orange zest and juice flavor the cake and frosting, and sliced oranges decorate the top.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

🍋 Substitutions and Variations

Lemon instead of orange - instead of an orange-flavored parsnip cake, make it lemon by using a fresh lemon in place of the orange
Icing - If you don't want to bother making frosting, try the easy maple cream cheese icing from my carrot date cake recipe
Other nuts - Pecans or walnuts would work well in place of the pistachios
Carrots - Turn it into a carrot cake by subbing in an equal amount of shredded carrots. Or use half parsnips and half carrots.

🔪Instructions

prepping the fresh ingredients for the cake

Start by prepping the ingredients. Grate the parsnips, zest and juice the orange, cover the raisins with hot water, and roughly chop the pistachios.

In one bowl, stir together the wet ingredients - the olive oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and half of the zest. In a second bowl, whisk the dry - the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.

folding the wet ingredients into the dry

Use a spatula to fold the wet ingredients into the dry until smooth. Then, stir in the grated parsnips and drained raisins.

Spread the batter across a greased 9x9-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes.

While the cake bakes, make the frosting. In a bowl, add the room-temperature butter and cream cheese. Beat until smooth, then add the orange juice and zest. Add confectioner's sugar, a little at a time, while beating until you have a frosting consistency.

cutting the cake in half to make two layers

Cool the cake on a rack. Then, use a knife to thinly slice a layer across the top of the cake to level it out, then cut it in half.

Top each cake half with frosting, then stack one half on the other. Continue spreading frosting around the sides and top of the cake.

spatula pressing pistachios into cake frosting

Press the pistachios onto the sides of the cake using your hands or the help of a spatula. Top the cake with orange slices and additional pistachios.

🥄Equipment

9x9 inch baking pan - While not the only option for baking this cake, a 9x9 pan is the size I used to write this recipe. An 8x8-inch pan would also work; but you will likely need to bake the cake a bit longer. I've also made this in a loaf pan, which would work fine, too, as long as you extend the baking time and keep an early eye out for doneness.

Microplane or zester - For zesting the orange

Grater - Necessary for grating the parnsips. Chopped parsnips won't work. A food processor is another option if you don't mind some extra dishes to wash.

Mixer - Although you don't need a mixer for the cake, it will come in handy for creating smooth icing. Either a stand or hand mixer is fine.

sliced cake on a cutting board with pistachios and oranges

🍰Storage

I find this cake is best when served as soon as possible when the icing is still soft and creamy. But it can be stored, covered, in the fridge, and consumed within 3-5 days. This cake does tend to dry out with time, however. This is an instance where fresh is best.

Extra frosting may be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 3 months.

📋Top tip

The trickiest part of this cake is the frosting. So here are a few tips.

First, ensure the butter and cream cheese are softened by leaving them at room temperature for about 30 minutes while you make the cake.

Second, the amount of powdered sugar you need to achieve the right consistency can vary depending on several factors. That's why I list 3-4 cups. Add a little of it at a time to the mixing bowl, and stop when you're happy with the consistency. Keep in mind that if the frosting is too thick, it'll be hard to spread. Too thin, and it'll slide off the cake. Start with less, as you can always add more.

💭FAQ

Why are parsnips good for baked goods?

Parsnips are good for baked goods like cakes because, as a root vegetable, they have a high level of natural sugar. When grated, they blend well into baked goods and become barely noticeable, adding flavor but not a distracting texture.

Why are my parsnips bitter?

Although naturally sweet, parsnips can become bitter if overgrown or stored for too long. For the best taste, look for small to medium-sized parsnips that are firm and wrinkle-free.

What else can I do with too many parsnips?

Aside from grating them and baking them into cakes like this one, you could use them in place of carrots in carrot cake recipes, zucchini in zucchini bread recipes, or give them a rough chop and roast with other root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and beets.