Sometime last year two friends and I visited an emporium in
Northampton called ‘A most marvelous place to shop’. It’s a shop that is
almost too difficult to describe but is full of vintage and antique items,
nearly new and lovingly made-by-hand bits and bobs which just cannot be found
anywhere else. It is also the home of a super little café and, of course, we
just had to stop and linger over cappuccinos and cake. To my credit I resisted
the temptation of having a slice all to myself but happily tried just a small
forkful of a rather good-looking dark and mysterious chocolate cake. It was
really scrumptious with an intense flavour and really moist. My friends and I
pondered over the possible ingredients and, finally, I summoned up the courage
to ask the coffee shop owner whether she had the recipe. She did
actually mutter something like “If all my customers made their cakes at home, I
wouldn’t have anyone coming in here” but she did turn on her heels and reached
up to a shelf and handed me the cookbook. It turned out to be ‘Red Velvet
Chocolate Heartache’ by Harry Eastwood and the cake itself ‘Heartache Chocolate
Cake’ contained a very special secret ingredient – aubergines!
About the same time of year, Lynn Hill – founder of the
Clandestine Cake Club – asked members to submit original recipes for possible
inclusion in a cookbook she was planning and it got me thinking about using other
types of vegetables which could be included in cakes to replace the unhealthy fat
content. So, after a bit of trial and
error, I devised two cakes – Lemon, Parsnip & Hazelnut and Sweet Potato &
Pecan – both of which I thought were worthy of submission. Time passed but,
much to my amazement, many weeks later, I learned that both of my recipes had
been chosen to be included. To say I was ‘pleased’ is a real understatement!
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So,
now several months later, on Valentine’s Day, the cookbook was published and I lovingly
made both cakes for one of the many book launches being held at various
Waterstone’s branches throughout the UK. The event in Abington Street,
Northampton, was a huge success – at one time we had about 80 people gathered
around us eating slices of cake with happy chatter playing alongside the ringing
of the shop tills. Fellow members Carmela Hayes and Vanessa Kimbell were also
recipe contributors and they joined me for the many obligatory photographs.
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Other
members also kindly baked for the event and, as usual a variety of cake
containers, boxes and plates were hidden under the display table. (Oh yes,
before I forget to mention it, daughter Laura has advised me that Tesco has on
offer at the moment a cake carrier – see photo - at a bargain price of £3.90!)
We also had many friends and family who came along to support us. What a day!
(Further photos of the event can be seen shortly at www.clandestinecakeclub.co.uk)
Lemon, Parsnip & Hazelnut - recipe
350g
parsnips, peeled and grated (squeeze out any moisture)
Finely
grated zest of 3 lemons
250ml
rapeseed oil
3 large eggs
85g roasted
hazelnuts chopped plus 25g chopped to decorate
125g stem
ginger chopped
250g
self-raising flour
175g soft
light brown sugar
Frosting:
125g butter
(at room temperature)
250g
full-fat cream cheese
2 tbsp lemon
juice
125g icing
sugar
Preheat oven
to 190C fan 170C or gas mark 5. Grease and base line two 20cm round sandwich
tins.
In a large
bowl, combine the parsnips, lemon zest, oil, eggs, hazelnuts and stem ginger,
then add flour and sugar. Mix well.
Spoon the
mixture into the tins, spreading it evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes or until
a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn out on to a wire rack
to cool completely.
To make the
frosting, beat the butter until smooth, then add the cream cheese and lemon
juice and mix until combined. Finally, sift in the icing sugar and beat until
light and fluffy.
To assemble
the cake, place one of the cooled sponges on a serving plate and spread a third
of the frosting over the top. Place the other sponge on top, then use the
remaining frosting to cover the top of the whole cake. Decorate with the extra
chopped hazelnuts.
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