Cauliflower and Parmesan Cake

I loved the idea of this cauliflower and Parmesan cake when I saw it on Smitten Kitchen. Since then I've seen so many Ottolenghi recipes on blogs, many of which I want to try! I thought this savoury cake was good but not amazing. Fresh herbs may help to bring it to that next level (I used dried though the recipe calls for fresh). It's something different and fun to try though and I loved eating it with a big salad.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Savoury Vegetable Cheesecake
Butternut Squash Casserole
Tomato and Corn Pie
Tracy's Lentil Loaf

Cauliflower and Parmesan Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves 4 to 6

1 medium cauliflower (1 1/2 pounds, 23 to 24 ounces or 650 to 700grams)
1 large red onion, peeled
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
10 medium or 8 large eggs
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cups (about 220 grams) finely grated parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper
Butter, for greasing pan
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) degrees. Break cauliflower into medium florets (this will cause less mess than chopping it). Place floret in a pot with a teaspoon of salt, cover them with water and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until quite soft. Strain and let drip in the colander for a few minutes so they dry and cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the batter. Halve your red onion and cut a few thin rings off the end of one side; set them aside. Coarsely chop the remainder of your onion. Heat all of your olive oil in a saucepan and saute the chopped red onion and rosemary together until soft, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Whisk eggs and olive oil and onion mixture together. Stir in basil. Whisk flour, baking powder, turmeric, cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (use 1 teaspoon if you are nervous about this amount) and many, many grinds of black pepper together in a separate bowl and add to egg mixture, whisking to remove lumps. Stir in cauliflower gently, so most pieces remain intact.

Line the bottom of a 9-inch (24cm) round springform pan with parchment paper. Butter the sides generously. Put the sesame seeds in the pan and toss them around so that they stick to the sides. Pour in the cauliflower batter, arrange the reserved onion rings on top and bake cake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, until golden brown and set.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Before you serve the cake, be sure to run a knife around the pan.