I love the flavors of pizza but kneading homemade pizza dough can be a hassle. I wanted to make something new that combined those flavors with vegetables from my garden, something that would be stress free to throw together on a weeknight. That’s what led me to create the pizacake.
Growing up on a farm, we lived off of what we grew. I learned to cook and bake from a young age while appreciating the work that goes into every ingredient. If you’ve never tried to grow your own food I encourage you to start with a small window garden. There’s a special kind of pride in seeing something grow and passing that on to the next generation.
A big inspiration for this recipe was my mom. She taught me how to bake our own biscotti and savory loaves of bread. When I bake, I think of her kitchen and the smell of bread rising as we talked. I loved every moment of it.
The pizacake is a take on those savory breads just as it’s inspired by pizza. There are many ways to customize it to your preferences and requires no kneading or time to rise. I love how easily it comes together, and I hope you will too.
Ingredients
- Eggs-Eggs are the leavening agent in this recipe to help the pizacake rise.
- Gluten free flour-There are a lot of good options on the market today. My favorite is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
- Milk-Milk is used to add flavor and make the pizacake softer and more golden.
- Olive Oil-Olive oil is a liquid fat that’s made by pressing whole olives to extract the oil. This will boost the flavor profile to be reminiscent of pizza.
- Black Pepper-Black pepper is the dried fruit of a flowering vine, which is the world’s most traded spice.
- Paprika-Paprika is a spice with three different types: sweet, smoked, and hot. It is made from dried and ground red peppers.
- Garlic Powder-Garlic powder is garlic that has been dehydrated and ground down, which is great for baking.
- White Wine-Don’t worry about the alcohol content, it will evaporate during the baking process.
- Baking Powder-Baking powder is used to add volume and a light texture to the pizacake.
- Parsley-This can be easily substituted or even combined with cilantro.
- Scallions-Also known as green onions, spring onions, Welsh onions, etc. should be available in your local produce section. They can also be substituted for other varieties of onion and shallot without much change of flavor.
- Carrots-Shred these and squeeze the excess liquid out through a tea towel before you begin cooking.
- Potatoes-Repeat the above process to remove as much moisture as you can to preserve the texture of the cake.
- Queso Fresco/Mozzarella-Any cheese could be used in this recipe. I personally enjoy the flavors of these two and mozzarella is classic for pizza. I’ve used cheddar as well and it’s delicious.
Should I use Queso fresco or mozzarella?
One of the great things about this recipe is that you can use any cheese to fit your preferences. Mozzarella is more suited to an Italian inspired recipe, so it aids in the pizza flavor of the pizacake. It is also known for its gooey texture when melted, which makes it the perfect topping.
Queso fresco has a sharper flavor than mozzarella cheese, similar to goat cheese but more salty. For best results, I’d recommend mixing Queso fresco into the batter and topping it with mozzarella before baking. This will give you the flavor of the Queso fresco throughout the cake and the cheese pull of the mozzarella on top.
Can I customize the fillings?
It’s very important for this recipe to add as little moisture as possible to the batter, otherwise, the texture of the cake could be compromised. For this reason, I’ve chosen scallions, carrots, and potatoes for the vegetables. Keep in mind that you should squeeze out any excess liquid from the shredded carrots and potatoes before adding them to the batter.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t make any substitutions, only that I can’t guarantee the results. If you want to try customizing the vegetables, be sure to use those with low moisture, such as cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, or fresh corn. You can also add whatever meats you want but I’d recommend precooking and draining the excess fat before adding the meat to the batter.
You could also customize the recipe by changing the seasonings, which is a little safer. Adding Italian herbs, in a seasoning blend or whichever ones you favor, and red pepper flakes will boost the pizza flavors. Cilantro is also a good substitute for fresh parsley, or you can use both. You could also experiment with your favorite spice blends and learn what works for you.
Step-by-step instructions
- Start by preheating your oven at 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, flour, milk, olive oil, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, white wine and baking powder. This will be the base for your cake. Mix it together until everything is fully incorporated and you’re left with a smooth dough.
- To this dough add the minced parsley, diced scallions, shredded carrot, shredded potatoes and 2 cups shredded cheese. Once again, we’re going to mix until the fillings are evenly distributed. The best part about gluten free baking is that you can’t overmix your dough.
- Line up a large bread tray with greased parchment paper, pour the mixture in and spread it out evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and thyme on top.
- Bake until all sides are golden brown.
Pizacake Recipe
First, gather your ingredients:
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup gluten free flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp. paprika
- 1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp white wine
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 cup minced parsley
- 1/2 cup diced scallions
- 3 medium carrot, shredded
- 4 medium potatoes, shredded
- 2 1/2 cups Queso fresco cheese or mozzarella, crumbled or shredded, reserve 1/2 cup
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat your oven at 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, flour, milk, olive oil, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, white wine and baking powder. Mix well until you form a smooth dough.
- To this dough add the minced parsley, diced scallions, shredded carrot, shredded potatoes and 2 cups shredded cheese. Stir to incorporate.
- Line up a large bread tray with greased parchment paper, pour the mixture in and spread it out evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and thyme on top.
- Bake until all sides are golden brown.
Helpful tips:
Squeeze all the water from carrots and potatoes.
Substitute with the veggies of your choice.
Substitute parsley for cilantro or combine both.
Substitute with any cheese of your choice.
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to two weeks.
If you’re gluten tolerant substitute with regular flour, I haven’t tried it with any other flours.
You can either keep it vegetarian or add any meat of your choice.
The mixture should not have any water.
What to serve with pizacake?
This is an easy recipe to make by itself for a weeknight dinner but there are plenty of options for side dishes if you have the time. A warm soup and a refreshing salad is a classic combination that will complement the heartiness of the pizacake. A tomato or mushroom soup would work best along with a caesar salad.
If you’re looking for sides that are a little less classic Italian, consider potato salad, coleslaw, zucchini fries, pasta salad, or spinach and artichoke dip. But if you’d like dessert, I’d return to Italy for tiramisu or Cannolis.
What will you add to this pizacake?
