Zucchini and Goat Cheese Invisible Cake

Appetizers, French, Side Dishes

 

Zucchini and Goat Cheese Invisible Cake
This appetizer is a savory version of an invisible cake, a custard-textured cake that's unlike any cake you've had before. It's called invisible because it has more filling, in this case zucchini, than cake batter. Thus, the cake seems to be invisible. Don't be put off by what seems like a long recipe. These instructions from Dorie Greenspan really do walk you through the unusual steps to create this masterpiece
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Cake, Vegetarian
Servings: 10
Calories: 138kcal
Author: The Amazing Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour (120g. Plus extra to dust the pan)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 eggs (room temperature)
  • â…“ cup milk (80 ml/at room temperature)
  • ¼ cup olive oil (60 ml)
  • 4 tablespoons chives (and/or tarragon. Minced)
  • 1 pound zucchini (approximately 450-500 grams. Can be a bit more or less, depending on the zucchini’s size)
  • 2 ounces goat cheese (cut/broken into small crumbles (see note below))
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (grated)

Instructions

  • Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375°. A mandolin works best for slicing the zucchini, but a sharp knife works well too
  • Coat an 8-inch loaf pan with baker's spray or butter, flour it and tap out the excess. Run a piece of parchment paper over the bottom of the pan and up the two long sides, leaving enough overhang so that you can use the paper to lift the cake out of the pan. Put the pan on a baking sheet to catch any possible drips as it bakes
  • Working in a bowl that's large enough to hold all the ingredients, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper
  • In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and olive oil
  • Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and, using a flexible spatula, stir to blend. You'll have a thick, pancake-like batter
  • Stir in the herbs
  • It’s time to slice the zucchini: use a sharp knife or a mandoline (or other slicer), and slice the zucchini into rounds that are thin enough to bend but not so thin that they break. You should have about 2 cups of sliced zucchini, though it may be more. It’ll seem like a lot 
  • With the spatula, in handful-sized batches, mix in the sliced zucchini. You'll have so much zucchini that you might think it will be impossible to immerse and coat the slices with batter, but it’ll all fit in
  • When all of the zucchini is mixed in, stir in the goat cheese
  • Scrape the unruly mix into the pan, plunging the spatula into the batter in several places to settle it and ensure that it fills the corners. Then rap the pan against the counter
  • Dust the top with the Parmesan
  • Bake for 75 minutes, or until the cake is browned and evenly puffed. A tester plunged into the center should go through the zucchini easily. You might see some bubbling around the edges of the pan, and that's fine
  • Transfer the pan to a cooling rack, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Don't be concerned when your cake settles and sinks a bit; that's normal. Carefully run a table knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it. The cake is fragile, so go gingerly. Keep the cake in the pan
  • Leave the pan on the cooling rack for 2 hours. The cake might still be warm at this point. Use the parchment paper to lift the cake out. Peel away the paper and set the cake on a cutting board; if the paper gives way, just turn the cake out onto the cutting board, peel away the paper, and then invert it onto the board. Let the cake cool to room temperature before serving it, or wrapping it and storing it into the refrigerator
  • The cake is good at room temperature or chilled. Either way, it's fragile and cuts more easily (and enjoyed) in thick slices
  • If you’re storing it, wrap it well in plastic wrap. It’ll keep in the fridge for up to 2 days

Notes

Cheese note:  You can use a firmer, more crumbly cheese. You want a cheese with some tang and acidity, but how strong it should be is your choice. You can also skip the goat cheese and go for feta (make sure you press it to get out the moisture), robiola, bleu, or even low-moisture mozzarella
Nutrition Facts
Zucchini and Goat Cheese Invisible Cake
Serving Size
 
10 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
138
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
8
g
12
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
 
0.003
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
5
g
Cholesterol
 
37
mg
12
%
Sodium
 
390
mg
17
%
Potassium
 
164
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
 
12
g
4
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
2
g
2
%
Protein
 
5
g
10
%
Vitamin A
 
271
IU
5
%
Vitamin C
 
9
mg
11
%
Calcium
 
69
mg
7
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Pin Recipe!