Vegetable Cake with carrots, broccoli and mushrooms
Dinner parties hosted by my family are a curious thing. I grew up with a Mom who prepared for them with the same enthusiasm that sportsmen would train for the Olympics. She would spend weeks planning and revising elaborate menus with no less than six or seven courses to be served. Because we had a restaurant, it was easy for her to borrow some of the cooks to help out. She would set up “stations” at different areas of the house. One time there could be a grilling section where steaks were cooked to order for the guests. Another station could be the carving station where she would serve maybe a suckling pig, or a turkey and a ham. Inevitably, the night would also end with a post-dinner commentary among ourselves about how the dinner went. The assessment would go at length about whether the guests enjoyed the food, who went back for seconds (or thirds), who wore what, and god forbid, who didn’t show up when they said they would. Then the wrap-up would end with a critique on what could be improved on for the next party.
Then there’s my Dad whose entertaining battery had a much, much shorter life. While I am sure he does enjoy the company, by 9 pm he is knackered and ready to call it a night. It’s rumoured that he once stood up from the dinner table and turned off all the lights in a not so subtle hint at saying “it’s time to go”.
I’m somewhere in the middle. I’ll usually prepare two dishes, and a dessert at most. I find that the times I have tried to over-extend myself, I enjoy less, and have been almost disastrous and I’ve made a mental note to steer clear from them. I’m a big fan of preparing as many dishes as I can ahead of time.
This Vegetable Cake was inspired by one of the greatest hosts of all time, Julia Child. I had made her original Vegetable Gateau on another occasion, and came up with a variation of it another time. The original Vegetable Gateau from Julia Child was a vegetable cake of carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms layered with crepes and baked with a cheese custard sauce. It was delicious, but truly a labour of love considering all the preparation required. It’s a crowd pleaser than my Mom would make time and time again during one of her elaborate dinner parties… go figure.
This version of the Vegetable Cake is much simpler and, like the original version, can be made ahead of time. I do away with the layers of the crepes and have tried to lighten up the custard by excluding the two cups of swiss cheese included in the original recipe. I have kept the carrots, mushrooms and broccoli but feel free to substitute with other vegetables – I think zucchini would be fantastic! I think my version is just as good as the original one and you know what? I think Julia Child would be proud.
Vegetable Cake with carrots, broccoli and mushrooms
Vegetable Cake inspired by Julia Child
- 8 eggs
- 300 grams ricotta cheese
- 250 grams cream cheese, softened
- pinch nutmeg
- Olive oil for cooking (around 60 ml)
- 475 grams carrots, peeled, cut into matchsticks
- 550 grams button mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 500 grams broccoli,
- salt and pepper to taste
- Start by making the custard, combine the eggs, ricotta and cream cheese in a food processor or blender. Add a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper. Blitz until smooth and set aside.
- In a large pan, saute the carrots in some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and cover the pan and allow to cook for around 5 minutes until the carrots are soft enough to pierce with a fork. Set aside.
- Using the same pan, add some more olive oil and saute the onion and button mushrooms. Cook for around 10 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and the liquid released from the mushrooms has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Trim and wash the broccoli. Cut bud ends off stalks to make them about 4 cm long. Starting at the cut ends, peel as much skin off as you easily can; peel skin of stalks cutting down to expose the tender whitish flesh, then cut into pieces half the length of your little finger to ensure quick and even cooking. Drop the peeled stalks and florets into rapidly boiling salter water and boil uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain immediately and chop into piece about 2 cm in size.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180c (fan forced). In a large cake pan (measuring 23cm wide and 6 cm high), layer the broccoli followed by a third of the custard. Next, layer the mushrooms and then half of the custard, finally layer with the carrots and the remaining custard. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when you insert this in the middle of the cake. Remove from oven, allow to cool before serving.
Vegetable Cake with carrots, broccoli and mushrooms
Trissalicious 
I have been cooking Julia’s recipe for decades. This is a nice, and delicious, alternative. Thank you. And I agree, Julia would be proud!
i like it
This is really beautiful and so much easier than the original! It’s a really impressive dinner party dish that I might have to try on myself tonight, thanks!!
Yes I’m sure Julia would love this! Thanks for sharing this other variation. I liked the previous one, but my boyfriend found it a bit heavy on the starch from the potato and sweet potatoes. I think this one will be perfect for his taste as well as mine!
I make a vegetable cake, but it doesn’t hold a candle to this one. I am definitely going to make this for the spring luncheon my garden club has. It’s gorgeous and if the ingredients are anything to go by, delicious as well.
Great job, Trissa!
Wow, this vegetable cake looks delicious, so tasty and healthy…perfect meal 🙂 And I am sure that Julia would like it as well;-)
Gorgeous!
this is just outrageously impressive. it’s art and it’s food and it’s fantastic!
Yep. I think your right Trissa. Julia would be proud. 🙂
Hi Trissa,
I love the look of that cake; looks very delicious. By the way, do you mind if I ask what camera settings you had when you took the photo? Your lighting, and your DOF’s perfect. Thanks. . .
Hi Ray!
Thanks for the compliment – I sent you an email but just so you know, I usually shoot on apperture priority… I set the F stop between 2.2 to 3.5.
Cheers
This is a great recipe. I think Julia would approve :D.
This is so great! Not only is it pretty and healthy but sounds absolutely wonderful! I am putting this at the very top of my ‘must make’ menu. I bet my kiddos will love it.
Yummy! I am sure anyone would approve!
I’m sure Julia would’ve liked your vegetable cake, I know that I do. I love that this can be prepared ahead of time for an easy dish for a dinner party or a weeknight supper. I’m eager to try this.
This cake looks so pretty! Do you think red capsicum would work? It’ll look so nice with the other colors.
Hmm… I am saving this for next month’s meatless day contribution. 😀
This is gorgeous. What a neat post. I would love to try this one. My mother doesn’t eat sweets and this strikes me as the perfect birthday cake for her. Lovely work.
i have some zucchini in the fridge and was wondering what else i could make with it. thanks for this recipe, trissa.
btw, i’ve just nominated you for the stylish blogger award on my blog. do stop by and hope you’ll accept!
I love the colors of this cake!
Julia would definitely be proud as it looks delicious! I can see this being easily adaptable to suit peoples tastes. I love you photos too, so beautiful.
As much as I admire the lady, never mind Julia – I love this! Never a vegetable fan growing up, I am certain that I would’ve eaten every single bit of produce on my plate if they had been presented in this manner. 😎
What very pretty colours and distinct layers! It reminds me of the layered jelly! 🙂
That’s the most interesting cake I’ve ever seen! Looking at the ingredient list, it’s sure to be delicious too.
These are so wonderful and it is already in my “must-do” file. Thank you for sharing this.
My god! Those sound like some great dinner parties your parents held Trissa! Love what you have done here. This is almost quiche like but lighter…great for a light lunch too!
I love this cake! I really like vegetable cakes. They are a great alternative way to eat veggies and a great dish for potlucks. Great job! I’m sure Julia would love it 🙂
Hi Trissa! I also grew up in a household where a dinner party or the annual fiesta is a red-letter day on the calendar. Although I wanted to help out with the Leche Flan I’m mostly confined to stirring the Ginormous pot of Paella. Anyway… I never tried Julia Child’s Vegetable Cake before. But I’d go for your version. The layers look amazing! 🙂
What a beautiful, beautiful cake. The colors are so bright and you know you’re eating something healthy so you can go back for seconds or even thirds! I’d have to eat fast so your dad doesn’t get up and turn off the lights on me, though! I’ve been known to be a slow eater. That was funny! I love the colorful layers. This would be a hit at any party.
Hope all is well, Trissa!
I’m certain Julia would approve! This looks gorgeous and reminds me of something I used too prepare called a Chartreuse of Vegetables (I think it was from Four Seasons in New York) – it was a medley of vegetables prepared in a straight-sided souffle dish and held together with mashed potatoes – no cheese. I must try to located it again.
This preparation solves the last minute juggling to get a variety of vegetables on the table for service in a timely manner.
I’ll definitely try this!
What a beautiful and impressive cake, I love all the distinct layers of vegetables. I agree with you on entertaining, when you over-extend yourself by trying to do too much it takes away from the pleasure of the event itself. Best to make a few simple things and enjoy the good company.
I think it looks and sounds fantastic and I’m sure Julia would agree 🙂 Your mom’s dinner parties sound awesome! Although I, like you, could probably only manage a couple of dishes and dessert or else fall prey to becoming ornery…I consider the “host’s disposition” to be a very important of the meal and thusly work to make sure that it is just as good, or even better, than the other dishes 😉
Looks very good…. Better than Julia s cause it s simpler to make and looks just the same. I ll try it soon.
I love the story about your dad turning off all the lights! One day, when I’m a curmudgeonly old woman, I intend to use that trick too 🙂 Until then, this cake is so pretty I can even forgive it for not having any chocolate inside…
Trissa, I remember your earlier versions of this. It must be really good for you to revisit this again. I like to hear you talk about your mother – such a vibrant character!
Fabulous recipe, Trissa! I love that it’s so simple yet beautifully highlights the vegies inside. And the cream cheese =D
I am sure Julia would approve…your pics are beautiful Trissa!