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"Cauliflower Cake": A Unique, Delicious Vegetarian Meal

This adaptation of Yotam Ottolenghi's cauliflower cake is super interesting, healthy, and a great vegetarian dinner option (as well as making awesome leftovers).
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Additional Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Main Dishes
Servings: 1 9-inch cake

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 small cauliflower outer leaves & core removed, broken into 1 1/4-inch florets (about 4 cups)
  • 1 medium red onion peeled & diced
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary
  • Roasted brussels sprouts rubble tiny pieces
  • 8 large free-range eggs
  • 1/2 cup of basil leaves chopped
  • 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1/3 teaspoon of ground turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons of kosher salt
  • Fresh-ground black pepper around 1/2 teaspoon
  • 1 cup of fresh-grated Parmesan or another aged cheese
  • 4 ounces of goat cheese in small pieces (log texture is better than crumbles, but both work)
  • Melted unsalted butter for brushing
  • 1 tablespoon of white sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon of nigella seeds also known as black caraway

Instructions

  • Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water. Simmer for 15 minutes until the cauliflower is soft and cooked through. Drain in a colander and let cool (I like to make this the day before & keep in the fridge).
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.  
  • Brush the sides of a 9-inch springform or loose-bottom cake pan with melted butter.  Mix the sesame and nigella seeds and sprinkle them around the inside of the pan so that they stick to the sides.
  • Take your peeled red onion and cut a few thin round slices off one end of the onion.  Set aside, these will go on top of your cake. 
  • Heat a small skillet and add the olive oil.  Chop the rest of the onion and place in the pan with the rosemary. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until soft. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
  • In a stand mixer or with an electric whisk (or your own elbow grease), beat the eggs until light and fluffy.  This will take a couple minutes.
  • Add the chopped basil, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and turmeric, and mix gently, just until combined.
    Stir in the onion mixture, roasted brussels sprout rubble, parmesan, goat cheese gently by hand. 
  • Last, add the cooled cauliflower florets and mix lightly to to thoroughly coat. Be careful not to break up the florets too much.
  • Pour the cake mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly, and arrange the reserved onion rings on top in a pattern.
  • Place in the center of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and set.  A knife inserted into the center of the cake should come out pretty much clean, but baking time can vary based on your oven and pan, so keep an eye on it starting at 30 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. It needs to be served just warm, rather than hot, or at room temperature.

Notes

  1. The original recipe confusingly has two different baking temps (180C and 400F, which aren't the same thing).  I ended up going on the higher end, with 400 F and baked it for less time...start checking at 30 minutes to be safe.
  2. The ingredients are adaptable based on what you have...just think about texture and taste changes.  So if you left out the goat cheese, you should add more salty ingredients, like more parmesan, another soft cheese, or at least more salt.  Be careful not to add vegetables with too much moisture as well (it will break down the texture.