Mushroom cake is a French culinary specialty that has evolved over time and across different regions, It's often paired with cheeses like Comté and Gruyère, and is traditionally made with button mushrooms.
This recipe is perfect for festive meals and can be adapted with various flavors and ingredients for a delightful twist.
▢Cuisine: French, Family Style
▢Difficulty: Easy
▢Preparation Time: 20 minutes
▢Cooking Time: 45 minutes
▢Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
▢ :🌿🌟 3. Equipment and Tools
To make this savory cake, you will need the following :
▢ Cake Pan: A standard cake pan approximately 25 cm long, 10 cm wide, and at least 7 cm high, A non-stick metal pan is ideal, but a silicone pan will also work.
▢ Mixing bowl: A large mixing bowl with a capacity of at least 3 liters for combining the ingredients.
▢ Frying pan: A frying pan with a diameter of approximately 24-26 cm for sautéing the mushrooms.
▢ Chef's knife: A sharp knife for slicing the mushrooms and chopping the parsley.
▢ Cutting board: A wooden or plastic board for preparing the ingredients.
▢ Grater: A cheese grater for the Comté cheese.
▢ Whisk: A hand whisk for mixing the liquid ingredients.
▢ Spatula: A silicone or wooden spatula for incorporating the dry ingredients.
▢ Kitchen scale: For accurately weighing the ingredients.
Measuring cup: For measuring liquids.
Oven: A conventional oven, preheated to 180°C (350°F).
🌟Specific notes:
If you are using a silicone mold, it is generally not necessary to grease and flour it. Make sure your knife is sharp for thinly slicing the mushrooms. A loaf pan with a non-stick coating will make unmolding easier.
🌿🌟4. Ingredients:
Here is the list of ingredients needed to make this savory cake for 8 people:
▢ Flour: 200g (about 1 1/2 cups) -
▢ Eggs: 3 large eggs (about 150g) -
▢ Olive oil: 10cl (about 7 tablespoons)
▢ Milk: 10cl (about 7 tablespoons) -
▢ Grated Comté cheese: 150g (about 1 1/2 cups)
▢ Button mushrooms: 200g (about 8-10 medium mushrooms) - You can replace these with other mushrooms, such as chanterelles, porcini, or oyster mushrooms.
▢ Chopped hazelnuts: 50g (about 1/2 cup)
▢ Flat-leaf parsley: 1 bunch (about 20g) -
▢ Baking powder: 1 packet (about 11g)
▢ Salt: To taste
▢ Black pepper:
▢ :🌿🌟Possible substitutions
Flour: You can use a mixture of flours, for example, 150g of wheat flour and 50g of buckwheat or chestnut flour for a more rustic flavor. Oil, Milk.
Cheese: Gruyère, Emmental, Beaufort, Cheddar, or even a fresh goat cheese can be used instead of Comté.
Mushrooms: Chanterelles, porcini, oyster mushrooms, shiitake, or a mix of wild mushrooms will add different flavors.
Hazelnuts: Walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, cashews, or pumpkin or sunflower seeds are good alternatives. Parsley: Chives, tarragon, or chervil can replace parsley.
▢ Step : 🌿🌟Preparation tips :
Take the eggs and milk out of the refrigerator a little while beforehand so they come to room temperature.
Grate the Comté cheese if you're using a block.
Clean the mushrooms thoroughly and slice them thinly.Roughly chop the hazelnuts. Finely chop the flat-leaf parsley.
🌿🌟 Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these detailed instructions to prepare your savory cake:
▢ Step 1 : 🌿🌟Preparing the Mushrooms (approximately 5 minutes)
Clean the 200g of button mushrooms thoroughly using a brush or a damp cloth. Do not wash them directly under running water, as they will absorb too much water and lose their flavor.
Slice the mushrooms thinly using a sharp chef's knife. In a pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
Add the mushrooms Slice the onions and sauté them for about 5-7 minutes, until tender and all their water has evaporated. Stir regularly to prevent sticking.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 6), fan-assisted if possible. In a large bowl, whisk together the 200g of flour and the baking powder.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the 3 eggs, 10cl of olive oil and 10cl
of milk until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (flour and baking powder).
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (flour and baking powder). Gently fold in the dry ingredients with a whisk, then a spatula, until the batter is smooth. The flour should be just incorporated. Do not overmix as this could make the cake dense.
▢ Step 3.🌿🌟 Incorporating the fillings (approximately 5 minutes)
Add the 150g grated Comté cheese, the cooked and cooled button mushrooms, the 50g chopped hazelnuts, and the chopped flat-leaf parsley to the batter.
Gently mix with a spatula until the ingredients are well distributed throughout the batter.
Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Taste the batter and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
▢ Step 4 :🌿🌟Baking the cake (approximately 45 minutes)
Butter and flour a loaf pan (unless using a silicone pan). Pour a thin layer of flour into the buttered pan, tap to distribute the flour evenly, then turn the pan upside down and tap to remove any excess flour.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes.
To check for doneness, insert a knife into the center of the cake. It should come out clean. If not, continue baking for a few more minutes, keeping a close eye on it.
▢ Step 5:🌿🌟Cooling and Unmolding (approximately 15 minutes)
Once out of the oven, let the cake cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. Carefully unmold the cake onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing.
🌟 Baking Tips:
Baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven. Check the cake carefully after 40 minutes.
If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, you can cover it with aluminum foil during baking.
Do not open the oven door during the first 30 minutes of baking, as this could cause the cake to collapse.
