Spinach and ricotta cake with wild mushrooms, gorgonzola cream and roast squash
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 6–8
- Dietary
- Vegetarian
This savoury cake is a riot of colours and flavours, making a perfect veggie centrepiece for the big day.
Ingredients
For the spinach and ricotta cake
For the garnish
- 25g/1oz unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 500g/1lb 2oz mixed wild mushrooms
- 50ml/2fl oz Madeira
- 1 onion squash, or similar pumpkin
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the gorgonzola cream
- 50ml/2fl oz double cream
- 150g/5½oz gorgonzola (or vegetarian alternative)
To serve
- 100g/3½oz gorgonzola (or vegetarian alternative), torn
- handful roasted pumpkin seeds
- 50g/1¾oz Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), shaved
Method
To make the spinach and ricotta cake, preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½.
Blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, drain and squeeze dry.
Add the spinach to a food processor with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Season well with salt and pepper.
Tip into a lined nonstick 20cm/5in deep springform cake tin and place into the oven to cook for 1½ hours.
Halfway through cooking, cover the tin with tin foil and turn the heat down to 120C/100C Fan/Gas ½. The cake is cooked when there is a slight wobble in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to rest.
To make the garnish, heat the butter in a frying pan over high heat and add the shallots, garlic, thyme and mushrooms. Fry for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the Madeira and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
To make the gorgonzola cream, add the cream to a pan and bring to the boil. Add the gorgonzola to soften then set aside.
To serve, scatter the mushrooms and roast squash over the top of the cake. Add the gorgonzola and spoon over some of the cream. Finish with the pumpkin seeds and shaved Parmesan and serve.
