Parsnip Lemon Cake

Ingredients

• 250 g parsnips
• 1 untreated lemon
• 200 g white couverture chocolate
• 6 Eggs
• 0.5 tsp Salt
• 170 g soft butter
• 170 g fine brown sugar
• 200 g ground almonds
• 70 g breadcrumbs
• 0.5 tsp cinnamon powder
• 120 g soft butter
• 250 g powdered sugar
• 50 g cream cheese
• 130 g lemon curd
• 2 tbsp almond flakes
• mint (for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel and grate the parsnips finely. Wash the lemon hot, dry it, zest some peel and set aside. Grate the remaining peel finely and squeeze out the juice. Mix both with the grated parsnips. Roughly chop the couverture chocolate and melt it over a double boiler. Then let it cool until it is still slightly liquid.

2. 2.

   Preheat the oven to 180°C fan and line two small springform pans of 20 cm diameter with parchment paper.

3. 3.

   Separate the eggs; beat the whites with salt into stiff, firm meringue. Cream the butter with sugar using an electric mixer. Combine the almonds, breadcrumbs and cinnamon with the parsnips. Alternately fold in the chocolate into the batter. Finally fold in the meringue gently. Divide half of the batter into each pan, smooth the tops and bake for about 35 minutes until golden brown (test with a skewer). Remove, cool, release from pans, lift off parchment and let cool on a wire rack.

4. 4.

   For the cream whisk butter until peaks form. Sift in powdered sugar gradually and mix. Finally fold in cream cheese and lemon curd.

5. 5.

   Place one cake layer on a plate. Spread about half of the cream over it and place the second layer on top. Spread the remaining cream, garnish with almond flakes, lemon zest and mint, and serve.