Funny anecdote: I spent a chunk of last weekend fretting over what type of Mardi Gras cupcake I should make for this week. Then on Monday I discovered that Mardi Gras is NEXT week. Ha ha sigh.
So I looked at my list of cupcake flavors (it’s getting long!) and thought about which of the non-chocolate flavors I’d like to do (I’m skipping chocolate since I did chocolate last week … yes, I’m picky).
I zeroed in on an entry I had tested before in small-batch form and had a few people try. They liked it, so I thought I’d bring it around again, with a few changes made.
Now, this recipe has a slightly unusual ingredient, and I was tricky when I emailed my taste testers. I wrote that this week’s cupcake was going to be a riff on carrot cake. And no one blinked an eye. The confirmations poured in. “Two please!” “I’ll need three!”
No one asked, “What do you mean, riff?”
This cupcake is adapted from a recipe in the back of , the third book in her cupcake bakery mystery series. It’s a cute series, and I appreciate the recipes shared in the book. The recipe I adapted is the Parsnip Cupcake with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting, page 277.
Yes, parsnip.
See, when you steam parsnips, they become sweet, like a carrot. So I adapted the original recipe, which used parnsips, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger, and tweaked it to include shredded carrots, cardamom and orange extract. And because I didn’t just want to call these parsnip cupcakes, I began playing around with names…hence “Parrot” (think about it … PARsnip … carROT. Parrot. Sounds way better than Carsnip.)
The result is … as Ray put it … nothing you’ve ever had it before. It’s sweet, it’s spicy, it’s earthy, it’s fragrant. I’m curious to see what others think of these cupcakes as well.
Ingredients
Directions
Shred carrots and parsnips separately (a food processor is really handy for this, but you can use a box grater as well). Steam the shredded parsnips lightly in a colander lined with cheesecloth for 5-7 minutes over simmering water. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center. Line cupcake pans with papers.
Mix all dry ingredients (including the sugar) together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, whisk together the oil, eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and milk in stages, beginning and ending with the milk. Add the parsnips and carrots, stirring gently to combine.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about halfway full. Bake for about 20-22 minutes. When done, transfer tins to wire racks to cool 5 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.
For the frosting, mix together the butter and cream cheese until combined, then add the crystallized ginger. Add vanilla, ground ginger and confectioners sugar--in 1/2 cup increments (taste to check sweetness). Pipe on the frosting to the cupcakes and top with a slice of crystallized ginger.
https://cupcakefridayproject.com/2012/02/parrot-cupcakes-with-ginger-cream-cheese-frosting/
February 17, 2012 at 1:52 pm
Um… I love this. It’s SO different, but deliciously yummy! I can see where it might not be for everyone, but for me it’s a fabulous blend of some fantastic flavors. I LOVE the cream cheese frosting and the ginger and cardamom… WOW. The cake is so perfectly dense and moist, too. And I love the name. Haha! Really. This cupcake is wonderful. Two weeks in a row of new favorites for me!!
February 17, 2012 at 2:31 pm
Ha! Nice post-love the story “behind the wrapper”, if you will. As usual, the frosting was superb. And I loved the cake, moist & delicious. the ginger on top was a nice cap to it all, although that was gone in my first bite, I have to admit.
February 17, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Ginger and cardamom are two of my favorite flavors, and the both pop in this cupcake! This is definitely one of your more unusual flavor profiles, and it works perfectly. LOVE it.
February 20, 2012 at 12:21 pm
This one is a keeper! Great texture and a really nice “tang”. I love, love, love ginger, and this cupcake had the perfect amount of spice to it. I never would have known there were parsnips, as well ask carrots, but that’s a fun twist…and probably why it wasn’t the color of a “normal” carrot cake. I really liked how there weren’t nuts or dried fruit (that often seem to make it into carrot cakes). Really delicious, and super cute presentation!
February 22, 2012 at 1:44 pm
I know I’m late but I took notes so this should be accurate…
The flavor of this week’s cake was superb from top to bottom. I loved the flavor of the cream cheese frosting. What a perfect way to cut through the richness of cream cheese than with ginger. And it complimented the spice of the cake.
As for the cake… Parsnips! Who knew!? What a great “rif” on carrot cake. The parsnips added a nice peppery quality to the other spice ingredients. I just assumed it was the spices. Fantastic! Who doesn’t love a root vegetable in the dead of winter?!