Maple-Parsnip Coffee Cake w/ Nutty Oat & Maple Glaze Topping

Ok, Chef Phoebe Cole-Smith of Dirt Farm Road restaurant, you had me at “maple glaze and nutty oat topping.” This recipe is c/o The Westport Farmers’ Market and features all of the goodness of the winter harvest. Sure, we don’t have tomatoes & berries, but we’ve got gorgeous parsnips and maple syrup straight from the tree. In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb here and call this recipe “healthy,” with a hint of dessert.

Maple-Parsnip Coffee Cake w/ Nutty Oat & Maple Glaze Topping

C/O Phoebe Cole-Smith of DIRT ROAD FARM

serves 8-10

FOR THE CAKE:
1 3/4 cups all purpose organic (I use Farmer Ground) or gluten-free organic 1-to-1 flour (I use Arrowhead Mills Heritage Blend)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 cups pureed cooked organic Fort Hill Farm parsnip
(peeled, chopped into large chunks, boiled until tender, pureed until smooth,
adding a few drops of water if too thick)
1 cup pure dark amber Dirt Road Farm maple syrup
5 Tbsp. organic unsalted pastured cultured butter, melted
2 Tbsp. organic sunflower oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large Dirt Road Farm pastured eggs

FOR THE TOPPING:
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup organic old-fashioned rolled oats
(I use Maine Grains brand, can be ordered from their website)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free 1-to-1 flour
2 Tbsp. unsalted organic pastured cultured butter, at room temperature
(I use Trickling Springs, available at Whole Foods)
3 Tbsp. pure dark amber Dirt Road Farm maple syrup
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. sea salt

FOR THE GLAZE:
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup pure dark amber Dirt Road Farm maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan or a fluted tube pan
2. for the cake, in a medium bowl whisk together the first 5 (dry) ingredients
3. in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the pureed parsnip, maple syrup, melted butter, oil, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. add the eggs, one at a time, thoroughly mixing after each addition. add the dry ingredients to the parsnip-maple mixture and mix on slow speed until just combined. pour the batter into the
prepared cake pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.
4. for the topping, in a small mixing bowl, combine all the topping ingredients using a wooden spoon, mixing until small crumbs are formed. use your hands to break up any larger lumps if necessary.
5. sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake batter in the pan. bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, until the center is just set. do not overbake; a cake tester inserted into the center should retain moist crumbs. let the cake cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack set over a half sheet pan before removing the side s of the pan.
6. while the cake is in the oven, make the glaze. combine all the ingredients, and whisk until smooth.
7. after the cake has cooled for 20 minutes but is still slightly warm, drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake and let it run down the sides. serve immediately.