Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 10 g baking powder
- 4 g baking soda
- 3 g salt
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g ground ginger
- 1 g ground nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- 150 g light brown sugar, packed
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 120 ml vegetable oil
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Mix-ins
- 150 g parsnip, peeled and finely grated
- 100 g granny smith apple, peeled, cored, and coarsely grated
- 80 g raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 200 g cream cheese, full-fat, room temperature
- 60 g unsalted butter, softened
- 120 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 ml vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 412 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 53 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 33 g
- Sodium
- 261 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 59 mg
- Potassium
- 269 mg
- Calcium
- 85 mg
- Iron
- 0.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 16 mg
- Phosphorus
- 133 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 99 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.11 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 20 mcg
- Water
- 37 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg until evenly combined.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and slightly pale.
Add the grated parsnip, grated apple, and raisins to the wet ingredient mixture. Use a silicone spatula to fold them in until just distributed.
Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients. Gently fold with the spatula just until no streaks of dry flour remain. Do not overmix.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 20 to 22 minutes.
Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer them directly to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
While the muffins cool, prepare the frosting. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the room-temperature cream cheese and softened unsalted butter on medium speed until completely smooth and free of lumps.
Add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Beat on low speed until incorporated, then increase speed to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy.
Once the muffins are completely cool to the touch, generously spread or pipe the cream cheese frosting onto the top of each muffin.
Chef's Notes
- To achieve a seamless crumb, grate the parsnip finely. Coarsely grated parsnip can leave stringy textures, whereas a fine grate allows the vegetable to practically melt into the batter.
- For extra plump raisins, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat them completely dry before folding them into the batter.
- Always sift your powdered sugar when making cream cheese frosting. Cream cheese behaves poorly when overworked to remove sugar lumps, often turning soupy as a result.
- The resting time in the pan is critical. Moving the muffins directly out of the oven can cause them to break apart, but leaving them in the pan too long traps steam and causes soggy bottoms.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container. The cream cheese frosting requires refrigeration.
Freezer: 1 month — Best frozen unfrosted. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw at room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Frosting is runny or separating
Cause: The cream cheese or butter was too warm, or the mixture was over-beaten, breaking the emulsion.
Fix: Place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes, then briefly whip again.
Prevention: Use ingredients at cool room temperature and beat only until just combined and fluffy.
Muffins are dense, tough, or rubbery
Cause: The batter was overmixed after the dry ingredients were added, developing too much gluten.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Fold the dry ingredients in with a gentle hand and stop exactly when the last streak of flour disappears.
Frosting melts off the muffins
Cause: Muffins were frosted while still warm.
Fix: Scrape off the melted frosting, let the muffins cool completely, and apply a fresh batch of frosting.
Prevention: Ensure muffins are entirely cooled to room temperature before applying the frosting.
Cultural Context
Root vegetables like parsnips and carrots have a rich history in European baking, originally utilized during the Middle Ages as natural sweeteners when sugar was scarce or prohibitively expensive. This modern muffin variation honors that tradition, pairing the woody, spiced sweetness of parsnips with the sharp tartness of apples to create a balanced treat that echoes classic autumn harvest cakes.
