These delicately spiced apple parsnip cupcakes are packed full of fruit and vegetables! The tart apples and earthy parsnips pair well against the sweet sponge cake, spiced up with cinnamon. I’ve topped them with a boozy apple cider frosting that it sweet, tangy and has a cheeky hint of alcohol.
- 150g (5 oz) raw parsnip, peeled and grated (approx 1)
- 1 apple, peeled and grated
- 250g (2 cups) plain flour (all-purpose)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 115g (½ cup) butter, softened
- 100g (1/2 cup) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150g (½ cup) plain yogurt
- 80g (1/4 cup) butter, softened
- 30ml (1/8 cup) alcoholic apple cider drink(or substitute apple juice)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 250g (2 cups) powdered icing sugar
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease or line a muffin tin.
- Peel and finely grate the parsnip and apple. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the parsnip and apple.
- In another bowl, use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each in well. Beat in the vanilla extract, blend well and then add the yogurt and gently combine.
- By hand, stir the dry ingredients into the wet.
- Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups, filling them ¾ full.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Allow to cook for a few minutes in the tin and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the icing, beat the butter until smooth, then add the cider and vanilla. Add the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Top the completely cooled cupcakes.
I’ve lived in Somerset for a year and a half now. The house still needs some work and there is a lot of exploring to be done, but we’re settling in. Settling in to a new life in a new place. We’ve done this a lot – moving, moving, settling, settling. Since our days living on a narrowboat in London, we’ve been on the move while staying in the same place. A brief sojourn to the Midlands preceded this move to the South West but something feels like home here. Far more than it ever has before. We’ve had a series of monogamous relationships with different towns, but my husband and I both feel that it’s time to make a commitment and put away the packing boxes for good.
Our roots are now beginning to grow like the apple trees in the garden. My children are small and I want them to live here until the pictures on the wall leave dark shadows imprinted on the paint we chose so carefully.
Like so many other gardens where I live, outside our house is abundant with fruit. The cider apple tree heaved with tart fruit until the autumn while the eating apple tree provided enough apples for a thousand crumbles. My freezer is well-stocked with applesauce and the children love stewed apples on their porridge for breakfast. Throughout the neighbourhood those with trees left boxes of ripe fruit out for those who could make use of them. I’ve enjoyed getting to know my garden through the seasons, eating from it’s lovely bounty. From dandelion petal and lemon cookies and stinging nettle and lemon cake to wild garlic and sweet potato salad and lovely new friends, my garden and my town have provided well for us.
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says
Lovely cupcakes. I made a sticky toffee pudding once with parsnip, I must dig my notes out and blog it. thanks for linking up to #ExtraVeg
Elizabeth says
These sound so utterly fantastic! Thank you for sharing with Extra Veg and the No Waste Food Challenge, and good luck in the awards!
Chris at Thinly Spread says
Also a fan of the boozy icing – I’m popping round now if that’s ok? 😉
the foodie couple says
wow, i LOVE the sound of this icing!!
tamingtwins (@tamingtwins) says
Errr. Cider icing?! YES PLEASE! I loved the comment you wrote about the pictures leaving marks on the walls, what a lovely image of time in a home well loved. PS Have voted for you! x
Camilla says
You had me at cider, these sound really lush and love the parsnip and apple combo which I bet makes these cakes really yummy and moist:-)
Ceri @Natural Kitchen Adventures says
You had me at boozy! Ha ha. Love parsnip cake, think it should be just as popular as carrot, and since parsnip and apple go well in soup I am confident these flavours are a wonder in this recipe! Good luck with the awards!
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes says
Love this idea! I bet the apple and parnip add moisture and a lovely sweetness to the cake…and boozy icing, yum!
| My Make Up Life | says
Why does everything you post just look devine 😀 Sounds like my kinda icing tho
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
Boozy icing??? So now I can eat fruit, cake AND get drunk? Sold!
Kate Hackworthy says
I love getting drunk on cake 😉
Dominic Franks says
these are just so cute… I do love parsnip in baking and that boozy icing, well HELLO MAMA! Thanks for linking to Simply Eggcellent x