I Drove Here In a Minivan & {Maple Parsnip Cake}

Maple Parsnip Cake

There is one sentence that pops into my mind randomly, while I'm out running errands, grabbing coffee with a friend, on a date with my husband, anytime I am outside of Baby Land (a.k.a. home):

I drove here in a minivan.

It never fails to make me smile, chuckle, sometimes even laugh out loud to myself. (I'm already the lady who mutters to herself at the grocery store, scurrying from aisle to aisle, forgetting 10 things so I have to backtrack).I'm not sure why this is so funny to me, but I guess I just feel like these years have flown by. It feels like just yesterday I was cruising (speeding) around in my little Honda, piercings, touching up my lip gloss and caking on eyeliner, invincible, windows down, blasting At the Drive In...I knew everything. 

Now here I am with my seventeen  three kids in the backseat smashing crackers into their carseats, sweatpants, crazy hair, no makeup, late for a playdate, overdue library books flying across the floor as I take the turn too sharply, running up over the curb.  I pull up to a stoplight and glance over at the young little thing next to me touching up her makeup, windows down, music blaring....and I smile. And my heart goes out to her because I know, based on the simple fact that she is  human, that over the next 10 years (+), she will (if she hasn't already), learn that she is not invincible. She'll experience heartache that she never thought possible. She'll disappoint and hurt those she loves, and will be hurt and disappointed by them. She will either become resentful and hardened toward the world, or she will find the beauty in it all. Grace. Forgiveness. Hope. She will decide that it's worth it.  

When we were young
We walked where we wanted to
Life was ours

And now we're old
We go where we're told
The Lord's Spirit calls

He's singing 
Follow my road to sorrow and joy
Be intertwined

~Josh Garrels, "Desert Father"

 http://joshgarrels.bandcamp.com/track/desert-father

Five years ago, after a long season of wondering if we'd ever be able to have kids, I blew out 25 birthday candles and made a wish. I prayed for a baby. I unwrapped a gift from a sweet friend, a baby blanket with the word "hope" embroidered onto it. I found out a little over a week later that I had a tiny life growing inside of me. 

It has been five years since then, and there are no words to describe exactly how it felt to be celebrating another birthday, looking around at all of these precious faces illuminated by bright candles in a dark room. 

Happuh bert-day to you
Happuh bert-day to you
Happuh bert-day to mommy
Happuh bert-day to you

My heart is so full. Richly blessed. This life is hardly perfect. It's got it's fair share of hardships and questions with no answers. This no happily ever after....but it is so much better.

Speaking of rich...

Only three candles, one to represent each decade, of course along with the joke about how we'd need a fire extinguisher if we tried to put all thirty candles...The "over-the-hill" jokes begin, and I say bring them on. Thirty is only the bunny hill. The view just gets better from here (or so I hear)...

Maple Parsnip Cake

Does the name alone confuse you? Have ever had parsnips? I hadn't until a couple years ago, and I knew from the first bite that they were my favorite vegetable. They look just like carrots, except their creamy white color. I even wikipedia'd them (dork). They  "resemble carrots, but are sweeter when cooked, buttery, slightly spicy, reminiscent of butterscotch, honey and subtle cardamom (which happens to be my favorite spice)" Wellll, that explains that. I hope if nothing else, I've convinced you to try this tasty, overlooked, misunderstood vegetable. I was going to just sub these in for carrots in my favorite carrot cake recipe, but then decided to check first to see if there was actually a parsnip cake recipe already out there. Turns out there are several. It's all been done, I tell ya. I originally was going to make some Honey Ginger Ice Cream to serve with it, but just didn't know when to stop (typical), and found a Chamomile Honey Ginger Ice Cream. We all agreed, we aren't crazy about chamomile in our ice cream. Live and learn. 

*This recipe calls for mascarpone cheese for the filling. I was all excited, because it sounded so decadent. Sadly, I discovered that I do NOT care for it a bit. I had some heavy cream, so I decided at the last minute to whip it up and add in some maple syrup and use that for the filling instead. It hit the spot. However, I think next time (and there WILL be a next time) I might just do a cream cheese frosting like you'd find on your typical carrot cake. 

*This cake, while great still warm from the oven, was BETTER the next day and even the day after, cold from the fridge. It stays super moist, and I found the flavor got better as it chilled. 

*I had to convert this recipe from metric to U.S. measurements. I have the converted recipe here for you (you're welcome).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 + 1/2 Tbs butter + extra for greasing

1 cup demarara sugar 

.425 cups (slightly less than half a cup) pure maple syrup

3 large eggs

2 cups self-rising flour

2 tsp baking powder (I always use aluminum-free)

2 tsp mixed spice (I found a great recipe for this here: mixed spice recipe

1/2 lb. parsnips, peeled and grated

1 medium apple, peeled, cored and grated

3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped

zest and juice 1 small orange

powdered sugar, to serve

For the filling: (which I skipped and went with whipped cream instead! Do whatever suits your fancy.)

250 gram tub mascarpone

3-4 Tbs maple syrup

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 round cake pans. Line with parchment paper and grease with butter. Melt butter, sugar and maple syrup 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 cake pans, then bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops spring back when pressed lightly. 

Cool the cakes slightly in the pans before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely. Just before serving, mix together the mascarpone and maple syrup. (Or make your maple whipped cream if you decide to go that route.) Spread over one cake and sandwich with the other. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Recipe adapted from: bbcgoodfood.com

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