Turnip Cake

The carrot cake, made with grated turnip — earthy going in, sweet & spiced coming out, under cream cheese

9″ or 6″ · 25 min

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Follow the carrot cake exactly — 9″ or 6″ amounts — with these swaps:
swap the grated carrot → equal finely grated turnip, wrung dry (3 cups for the 9″ · 1½ cups for the 6″, measured after squeezing)
bump the warm spice: add ¼ tsp ground cloves or allspice and a pinch more cinnamon to meet the turnip's earthiness
add (optional) 1 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger for brightness — it loves turnip
keep everything else — the oil, sugars, eggs, soda, salt, and the cream cheese frosting — the same
good add-ins: chopped walnuts, raisins, or a little grated apple with the turnip

What you need

Follow the carrot cake exactly — 9″ or 6″ amounts — with these swaps:

swap the grated carrot → equal finely grated turnip, wrung dry (3 cups for the 9″ · 1½ cups for the 6″, measured after squeezing)

bump the warm spice: add ¼ tsp ground cloves or allspice and a pinch more cinnamon to meet the turnip's earthiness

add (optional) 1 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger for brightness — it loves turnip

keep everything else — the oil, sugars, eggs, soda, salt, and the cream cheese frosting — the same

good add-ins: chopped walnuts, raisins, or a little grated apple with the turnip

Peel, grate fine & wring. Peel the turnips (the skin can be bitter), grate them fine, then squeeze the gratings dry in a towel. Turnips hold more water than carrots, so wringing keeps the crumb from going soggy — and measure after.
Mix like the carrot cake. Whisk the dry (flour, soda, salt, the bumped-up spices); whisk the wet (oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla) and fold in the turnip (and ginger/add-ins); combine just until no streaks.
Bake. Same pans and temps as the carrot cake: 350°F, 9″ rounds 30–35 min · 6″ rounds 28–34 min · 9×13 35–40 min, until a tester comes clean.
Cool completely, then frost. Cool all the way before the cream cheese frosting, or it slides right off.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Peel, grate fine & wring. Peel the turnips (the skin can be bitter), grate them fine, then squeeze the gratings dry in a towel. Turnips hold more water than carrots, so wringing keeps the crumb from going soggy — and measure after.

2. Mix like the carrot cake. Whisk the dry (flour, soda, salt, the bumped-up spices); whisk the wet (oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla) and fold in the turnip (and ginger/add-ins); combine just until no streaks.

3. Bake. Same pans and temps as the carrot cake: 350°F, 9″ rounds 30–35 min · 6″ rounds 28–34 min · 9×13 35–40 min, until a tester comes clean.

4. Cool completely, then frost. Cool all the way before the cream cheese frosting, or it slides right off.

Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.