It has been a while since I posted a recipe as I have been away on a rather long holiday. Last Friday, it was one of the team member’s birthday. This staff member has been working on a captive breeding program to ensure the survival of the endangered “spotted hand fish” species. These cute little fish walk on hands rather than swim. For more information click on the following links which have recently aired on the ABC radio and TV.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-15/spotted-handfish-captive-breeding-program-csiro/8948636
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-22/spotted-handfish-actually-a-hands-on-dad/8970604
To celebrate the success of the project as well as the birthday, the cake was decorated with two hand fish made from fondant.
The parsnip cake is a variation of the more common carrot cake. The cake is very moist and the lemon flavoured cream cheese icing is delicious.
The recipe is taken from “Simple Café Food” by Julie Le Clerc.
Ingredients for cake
1 cup caster sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
½ cup crushed pineapple
4 – 5 large parsnips grated
1 1/3 cups plain flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup currants
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
Ingredients for cream cheese icing
1 cup cream cheese, softened
50 g butter, melted
½ cup caster sugar
grated rind and juice from one lemon
- Preheat oven to 160°C (less for a fan forced oven, 160°C) and grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin.
- Whisk sugar, oil and vanilla together.
- Beat in eggs one at a time until mixture is creamy.
- Stir in pineapple.
- Place grated parsnip, flour, salt, baking soda, currants and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- Pour in the wet mixture and stir to combine. The mixture will be very wet.
- Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin and cook, in the middle of the oven, for approximately 11/2 hours or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool.
- To make the icing, beat all ingredients together until creamy. When cake is cool, spread icing over cake.
Sweet Treats by the Sea 