Catherine Berwick's Parsnip & maple syrup cake

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 20 mins
Cook 45 mins

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

FOR THE FILLING

• 250g tub mascarpone
• 3-4 tbsp maple syrup

 Method

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.
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.

697 kcalories, protein 8g, carbohydrate 79g, fat 41 g, saturated fat 22g, fibre 3g, sugar 52g, salt 1.12 g