Parsnip Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Pepper and parsnips in a dessert?  This warm spicy cake is nothing more than a variation on carrot cake and the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting is more than just sweet — it has deep and nutty flavor.

1. Grease a 20 cm (8-inch) round baking pan, line with a sheet of wax or parchment paper cut to fit, and set aside.

   Mix the flour, spices, salt, and baking powder to blend. Set aside.

   Using a stand or hand-held mixer, beat the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and vegetable oil until smooth and blended.

   Mix in the flour mixture, parsnips, and walnuts, until just blended and no spots of flour are visible. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 177° C (350° F).

   While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Melt the butter over medium heat, until it foams, the solids begin to separate, and it takes on a light brown color and a nutty aroma. Keep an eye out, it can burn quickly. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

   Using a stand or hand-held mixer, beat the cream cheese until soft. Keep beating and blend in the salt, sugar, and the brown butter, including the solids. Beat until smooth and blended.

   To assemble the cake, let it cool in the pan for five minutes, then unmold it to cool completely. Once the cake has cooled, split it into two layers and spread the frosting between the layers.