Breakfast/Brunch

February 2, 2025

Winter Morning Breakfast Cake

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Winter Morning Breakfast Cake captures the cozy flavors of citrus and spice, and features seasonal produce such as apples, pears, and parsnips. This cake makes a memorable addition to any winter breakfast or brunch.

This Winter Morning Breakfast Cake is a play on the traditional “Morning Glory Muffins” recipe. Morning Glory muffins classically feature grated carrots and apples, crushed pineapple, raisins, and nuts. For several years now, I’ve been playing with substituting parsnips for carrots in winter baked goods, and I am never disappointed with the results. I then decided to lean into the winter seasonal produce by replacing crushed pineapple with juicy, grated pear. With apples and pears, I had to include more Pacific Northwest fruit flavor, replacing raisins with dried tart cherries. I finished out the flavor profile with inspiration from my Scandinavian roots, adding orange zest and cardamom, which are reminiscent of stollen (a holiday baked good). 

I also played around with the flour combinations in this cake, ultimately landing on a combination of almond and whole wheat flours. Together, they make for the most incredible, tender crumb, and they bring a nice boost of fiber and protein to this cake.

I’ve shared this cake with family and friends, and the reviews are raving! I couldn’t agree more - I honestly think this cake is the best thing I have ever baked. It’s that good. Please find out for yourself, and make this cake before the season ends!

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Ingredients assembled for Winter Morning Breakfast Cake
Assemble your ingredients.

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Stages of mixing the cake batter
Prepare the cake batter: grate the apple, parsnip, and pear into a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped dried cherries, pecans, and orange zest. Add the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients and stir until moistened.

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Winter Morning Breakfast Cake before and after baking
Pour the batter into a prepared baking pan and top with chopped pecans, then bake until golden brown.

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Winter Morning Breakfast Cake ready to be served
Winter Morning Breakfast Cake is tender, sweet, and spicy, and perfect paired with a hot cup of coffee.

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Perfection.

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Winter Morning Breakfast Cake

Winter Morning Breakfast Cake captures the cozy flavors of citrus and spice, and features seasonal produce such as apples, pears, and parsnips. This cake makes a memorable addition to any winter breakfast or brunch.

Author:

Kira Freed - The Joyful Plateful

Prep:

15

min

cook:

45

min

total:

60

min

Print It

Ingredients

1 cup grated tart apple (about 1 medium)

1 cup grated parsnip (about 1 large)

1/2 cup grated pear (about 1 small)

1/2 cup chopped pecans, plus 2 Tbsp. (for topping)

1/3 cup chopped dried tart cherries

Zest of 1 medium-large orange

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup olive oil

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-by-9-inch square baking pan with neutral cooking spray, and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the grated apple, parsnip, and pear. Add the chopped pecans, dried cherries, and orange zest. 
  3. To the mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients: granulated sugar, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until combined. 
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl: almond flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Stir until incorporated, and no dry ingredients remain. 
  5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Spread the mixture into an even layer, gently smoothing the top of the batter. Scatter the remaining 2 Tbsp. chopped pecans evenly over the top of the batter.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
  7. Allow the cake to cool for 15-20 minutes, then serve warm. Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

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Hi there, I’m Kira!

I invite you to try my seasonally-inspired,
plant-based recipes to create your own
joyful plateful!

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