It’s officially springish here, I say ‘ish’ because one week it was nearly 70 degrees and the next we had an inch of snow on the ground. We’re busy planning our garden and deciding what fruit trees we want to plant but are waiting until the weather is consistently warm to really get things going. Maybe not warm, just not snowing…so I’ll update you on that in June, ha.
If you’re looking for an Easter cake that takes care of the majority of the dietary restrictions out there, I’ve got you covered. This is more like a snack cake than a fancy sliced cake, but I especially love it dolled up with some edible flowers. It’s rich without being heavy and it’s perfectly spiced. Trust me on the parsnips here, if you don’t love parsnips in other dishes I encourage you to give them a try in this cake. Their slightly sweet, earthy nuttyness is so delicious with the pear and ginger. Also, if you don’t want to bother with the pears feel free to use unsweetened applesauce, but really, peeling and pureeing ripe pears takes almost no time and is truly worth the effort.
If you’re having trouble sourcing any of these flours locally, you can find them at Bob’s Red Mill.
- ⅔ cup pear puree (from 1-2 pears)
- 3 flax eggs (2 tbsp flaxseeds mixed with 6 tablespoons water), I like this one from Bob's Red Mill
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (or any other neutral-flavored oil)
- 6 tablespoons maple syurp
- ½ (50 grams) cup white sugar
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (75 grams) almond flour
- ¾ cup (116 grams) glutinous white rice flour (not regular white rice flour)
- ½ cup (50 grams) oat flour
- ¼ cup (32 grams) millet flour
- ¼ cup (30 grams) tapioca flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch cloves
- 1 cup peeled, grated parsnip
- 4 oz vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
- 4 oz vegan cream cheese
- 2 cups (220 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (more if desired)
- pinch of salt
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 12 ceramic or glass baking pan.
- For the pear puree, peel and core 1-2 ripe pears and puree in a blender. If you're doing this in advance and you're concerned with browing, add ½ teaspoon lemon juice to the puree before storing it in an air-tight container.
- Combine the flaxseed and water in a small bowl and stir, let sit for at least 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine the oil, maple syrup, sugar, milk and vanilla extract, stir well and set aside.
- Whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, and cinnamon in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Add the flax eggs, sugar mixture, and pear puree to the dry ingredients and mix for 3-5 minutes, Stir in the grated parsnip and let the batter sit for 10 minutes.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then begin checking the cake every 3-5 minutes for doneness. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. When done, cool on a rack until it comes to room temperature.
- Beat the vegan butter and cream cheese on high speed for 3 minutes, until combined and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and mix for another 3 minutes, then blend in the vanilla, ginger and salt. Taste and add more ginger if desired.
I feel so excited that you posted a vegan recipe! Will you please let me know your recommendation of using regular white/wheat flour if you are not concerned about the cake being gluten-free and a modified cooking time for using a different cake pan size? I have a 13 by 9 inch pan, but not a 12 by 9.
Many thanks!!!
Hi Jana, It’s so nice to hear from you! I’d maybe do 3/4 white flour and 1/4 wheat? You could definitely do all white flour if you have it on hand, but a little bit of wheat would add a nice earthy flavor! I haven’t tested it with regular flour but I think that would work! You should be able to use the same baking times, let it bake without opening the oven for 20 minutes and start checking it after that! Let me know how it goes if you try it?? I’m interested to hear!
Also, this was honestly my first vegan baking recipe ever and I kiiind of love it <3
Thank you so much! I cannot even wait to try it. 🙂