Spiced Parsnip Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Light, tender, cardamom-scented cupcakes. Parsnip turns out to be delicious in dessert!
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For Cupcakes
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup safflower oil *I used grapeseed, any neutral vegetable oil will work
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups coarsely grated parsnip
For Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cardamom, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together brown sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla and the grated parsnip. Stir in flour mixture until combined.
- Divide mixture evenly among lined cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached (*I always press gently on the center of the top - it should spring back), 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
- Make frosting: In a large bowl, beat cream chesse, butter, confectioner's sugar and vanilla until combined. Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes. (Frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days.)