Parsnip and Prune Loaf

I forget a friend's anniversary. This compounded by the fact that I forgot her birthday last year. Colleen chides me in warm tones, a cordial tone reminding to wish her and Keith. To make amends I bake. Something I know they will relish. 

I have been intrigued by a tea cake made with minced parsnips.  Six Seasons is a much loved, often flipped through cookbook. The recipes are innovative and diverse.  I usually follow the chef's instructions , but this one is adapted as I don't have some of the items. This moist cake is a quick mix. Parsnips are minced in the food processor. The usual cake fundamentals are blended into a creamy batter and baked slowly. The loaf turns out moist and crumbly. Topped with a lemon and black pepper icing, the loaf is ready for gifting.

PARSNIP AND PRUNE LOAF

Adapted from Six Seasons

Serves 6

2 large Parsnips

1 1/4 cup AP Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 Eggs

2/3 cup white Sugar

1/4 cup light Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

2/3 cup Olive Oil

1/2 cup pitted Prunes

1/4 cup Walnut pieces (optional)

2 teaspoons Lemon Zest

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

1 cup Powdered or Icing Sugar  

Fresh ground Black Pepper

Butter a 8x5 inch loaf pan. Or use two 6x3 small pans. Dust pans with flour, tapping out the excess.

Chop parsnips into 1 inch chunks. 

Place them in the bowl of a food processor and pulse till they are finely chopped.

If you don't have a processor, grate the parsnips.

Heat oven to 325F/160C.

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Add eggs, sugars, vanilla and olive oil and I teaspoon lemon zest to the parsnips.

Pulse till smooth.

Scrape the parsnip batter into the flour mix. Fold with a spatula till well blended. 

Add prunes and walnuts to the batter.

If you are making one loaf, pour the batter into prepared pan. Divide the batter between two pans if that is your choice. I used a nonstick one as well as a cardboard one, which is good  for a gift.

Thump the pans on the counter a few times to remove air bubbles.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Poke loaf with a skewer. It should come out clean. 

Make the glaze while the cake bakes.

Mix lemon juice with remaining teaspoon of zest and icing sugar. Add a few grinds of black pepper. 

Cool loaf for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around the edges and invert loaf. Set it right side up again. Do this before you glaze the loaves! I didn't as is evident in the picture below! Makes for a neater product! I did not remove the loaf in the cardboard box. That was wrapped and gifted.

Drizzle cake with glaze while loaf is warm. 

Enjoy a slice with a cup of tea.

The gift is left on Colleen's doorstep. She encourages me to forget her birthday again this year! 

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