With the sweetness that comes with spring dug parsnips, I thought to vamp up the classic carrot cake! Cardamom brings out the earthiness and the pistachios and cream cheese frosting pair perfectly with the flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, divided
- 2 cups grated parsnips
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ stick butter, room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- Chopped toasted pistachios, for topping
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk together flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, eggs, oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and parsnip.
- Stir in flour mixture.
- Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners. Divide batter among cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes.
- Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- In a large bowl, with a mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, and remaining teaspoon vanilla until combined. Spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
- Top with chopped pistachios.