Who’s afraid of parsnip cake?

In a produce lineup, only 21 percent of Americans were able to identify parsnips. Actually, I made that up. Another thing I also made up with parsnips is a cake. This is a fantastic way to become accustomed to the under-the-radar tuber that looks like a bleached carrot and has a carrot-ginger flavor, if you’re part of that fictional 79 percent of Americans. The recipe at www.veganbaking.net will yield a sweet and moist dessert that’s kind of like carrot cake with warming spices and shreds of parsnips, but with a welcomed punchiness. And it’s not selfish if you eat half the cake by yourself to get a whole serving of the vegetable—it’s totally responsible, actually. Yeah, OK, I made that up, too.