Ingredients
- 1 medium parsnip, peeled, topped and chopped into 2cm chunks
- 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into six
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 1tbsp maple syrup, plus more for drizzling
- 200g flour
- 2tsp baking powder
- 1tsp mixed spice
- Zest of half orange
- 80g butter, plus extra for greasing
- 400ml natural yoghurt
- 100g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 100mls olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 4 medium eggs
- 2tbsp sesame seeds
- 2tbsp dried cranberries
- A few leaves of fresh mint, shredded
1 Set the oven to 180 degrees.
2 Grease and line a 25cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
3 Put the parsnips, red onion and thyme on to a roasting tin. Season, then drizzle over the maple syrup and a little olive oil, making sure everything is coated nicely.
4 Put in the oven for 20 minutes, turning once or twice and roast until lightly golden and nearly cooked .
5 In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and orange zest and set aside.
6 In a mixer, cream the butter, two tablespoons of the yoghurt, Parmesan and olive oil until pale and very fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until smooth, then fold in the dry ingredients until combined.
7 Spoon the mixture into the lined cake tin then lay the parsnips and red onion evenly over the top and scatter the sesame seeds on top.
8 Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes until the centre is firm to the touch. Drizzle with a little more maple syrup, then let the cake cool before removing from the tin.
9 To make the dressing, pour boiling water over the cranberries and let them sit for 15 minutes to plump up. Drain and gently squeeze all the water from them. Then mix them with the remaining yoghurt and mint and chill until serving.
10 To serve, warm the cake, then spoon the dressing over the top.
