Name: Parsnip & maple syrup cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 175g butter plus extra for greasing; 250g demerara sugar; 100ml maple syrup; 3 large eggs; 250g self-raising flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 2 tsp mixed spice; 250g parsnips peeled and grated; 1 medium eating apple peeled, cored and grated; 50g pecans roughly chopped; zest and juice 1 small orange; icing sugar to serve; 250g tub mascarpone; 3-4 tbsp maple syrup

Catherine Berwick's Parsnip & maple syrup cake

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

For the filling

250g tub mascarpone
3-4 tbsp maple syrup

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease 2 x 20cm sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Melt butter, sugar and maple syrup in a pan over gentle heat, then cool slightly. 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. Divide between the tins, then bake for 25-30 mins until the tops spring back when pressed lightly.
step 2
Cool the cakes slightly in the tins before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely. Just before serving, mix together the mascarpone and maple syrup. Spread over one cake and sandwich with the other. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.