My Ideal Birthday “Cake” (is Meatloaf!)

A savory dish made with ground meat, my ideal birthday cake is meatloaf! This one is filled with curried carrots and covered with buttery cream potatoes. Happy Easter to all who celebrate and an early Happy April Fool's Day to all!

We all love a good prank for April Fool’s Day but I can’t remember the last time I actually pulled one. Probably when our girls still lived at home and that’s was a very long time ago – COVID days excepted. 

If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you probably know that I’m not much of a sweet eater so when our Sunday FunDay host for this week challenged us to make a dish that looked like something else for April Fool’s Day, I knew I’d make a savory dish. 

I also wanted to make a fun recipe that we could actually enjoy for a main course. I created this meatloaf recipe to fit the bill. Doesn’t it look like cake?!!!

My Ideal Birthday Cake is Meatloaf

I used two 6-in or 15cm round “smash” cake pans to bake the meatloaf layers. A tradition that started well after my two girls had turned one, smash cakes are little cakes baked so the birthday baby can put her whole face in. I presume there’s another cake for the rest of the guests at the birthday party.

Ingredients

For the “cake” layers:

2 slices sandwich bread (brown or white)

1/4 cup or 60ml milk

1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion

1 lb or 450g ground beef

1/2 lb or 225g ground pork

2 eggs

1/4 cup or 60ml ketchup

2 teaspoons dry mustard powder (like Colman’s)

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the cream potato “frosting”:

4 medium Russet potatoes (weight peeled: about 1 lb 6 oz or 625g)

1 teaspoon fine sea salt to boil, plus extra after mashing, if needed

1/2 cup or 120ml whipping or heavy cream

1/4 cup or 57g butter

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

For the savory carrot filling: 

3 medium carrots (weight peeled: about 7 3/4 oz or 215g)

1/4 medium onion

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon salt  

For decorating:

1 teaspoon paprika

Large piping tip

Piping bag

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Cut the bread into small squares and pour the milk over it in a small bowl, pushing the pieces down into the milk. Soak until all the milk is absorbed.

Mince your onion finely. I usually use a small food processor for this to make sure there are no big bits because no one wants to bite into a big bit of onion.

In a large bowl, add your onion, ground beef, ground pork, eggs, ketchup, mustard powder and salt. Mash the soggy bread with a fork till it falls apart and then add it to the large bowl with all of the other ingredients.  Mix well.

Divide the mixture in half and press it into the smash cake pans. My whole mixture weighed 1062g so each pan holds 531g.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the meatloaf is browned nicely and cooked through to a safe internal temperature of 160°F or 71°C.

While your layers are baking, make the filling and "frosting." Peel your potatoes and cut them into chunks. Boil them until tender with the teaspoon of salt. 

Warm the cream and butter together till the butter is just melted. I do this in a microwaveable vessel, with quick zaps, watching carefully so it doesn’t boil over. 

Drain the potatoes and mash them right away. I find they mash with fewer lumps while still hot. Add in the melted butter/cream and the white pepper. 

Stir well till combined. Taste and add more salt if needed. 

Peel and cut the carrots into chunks. Finely mince the onion (or use a processor) for the filling. 

Boil the carrots until very tender then drain and mash them right away. 

Transfer the carrots to a heat -proof bowl and melt the butter in the pot you used to boil them. Sauté the curry powder and chopped onions in the butter until the onions are translucent and very soft. 

Add the carrots back into the pot with the 1/4 teaspoon of salt and mix well. Set aside.

When they are done, remove the meatloaf layers from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Run a silicone spatula around the edge to loosen. Carefully remove them to plates.

Top one meatloaf layer with the carrot filling. 

Carefully put the second meatloaf layer on top. 

Cover the “cake” with the cream potatoes. 

You should have plenty left over so don't be shy.

Add the paprika to 3/4 cup or 170g of the cream potatoes and mix well.

Fit a large tip on your piping bag and use a spatula to add the paprika potato down the insides of the bag in stripes. Spoon the rest of the cream potatoes in the middle of the piping bag. Decorate the “cake” by piping on little rosettes or stars.

I did a row around the bottom, then a row around the top. And because more is more, I piped rosettes to cover the top. You do you. 

(You will probably have potato leftover at the end unless you choose to cover the whole cake with rosettes. Eat it as is or follow these instructions to make baked Marquis potatoes with the rest. 

I must confess that by the time I finished assembling the “cake” it was closer to room temperature than hot so we sliced it up and warmed it by the slice in the microwave. Delicious! 

If you make one to trick your family, I’d love to hear about it!

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and, as mentioned above, we are sharing April Fool’s Day recipes. Many thanks to our host, Camilla from Culinary Cam. Check out all the illusion recipes below:

• April Fools Calzone Donut by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• April Fools' Day Chicken Nuggets & French Fries by Sneha's Recipe
• Big Ice Cream Taco by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Grogu's Frog Egg Dessert by Palatable Pastime
• Hot Beef Sundae by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• My Ideal Birthday "Cake" by Food Lust People Love
• Potted Plant Cremeux by Culinary Cam

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Warm Root Vegetable Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing

This warm root vegetable salad with pomegranate molasses dressing is perfect for an autumn meal, hearty but tangy, a nice transition from lighter summer salads.

When are vegetables a salad and not just a side dish? For me, it’s the dressing that makes the difference to what this dish is called. If I parboiled the root vegetables, roasted them and simply added butter, this would not be a salad! 

I give the approximate weight of the root vegetables I used below but feel free to mix it up and substitute an approximate amount of your favorites. My mom would probably welcome turnips here. I’m not a fan but maybe you are. Can’t find Jerusalem artichokes? Use more of the other vegetables or substitute potatoes. 

That said, the dressing goes best if the root vegetables do have some innate sweetness, like parsnips and carrots do. 

Warm Root Vegetable Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing

This dish serves two as a light lunch with, perhaps, some crusty bread, and four as a side dish. If you have a bigger roasting pan, it is also easily doubled. Pomegranate molasses can be found at most Middle Eastern stores and occasionally in the international aisle of some supermarkets. 

Ingredients

For the warm root vegetable salad:

11 1/3 oz or 320g Jerusalem artichokes 

2.2 lbs or 500g parsnips

7 oz or 200g carrots

1 small brown onion

4 cloves garlic

Generous drizzle olive oil

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

To stop the peeled vegetables from oxidizing:

Bowl of cold water

2-3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

For the dressing: 

8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

(The garlic above after roasting)

Method

Get a pan of water on to boil for steaming the vegetables. 

Peel the artichokes and cut them in half, adding them to the bowl with cold water and the lemon or lime juice to stop them turning brown. Small ones can be left whole. 

Peel the parsnips and cut them into large pieces, Add them to the lemon water as well.  

Peel and cut the carrots into large pieces and place them in a steamer basket above the boiling water. Drain and add the artichokes and parsnips. 

Cover and steam for about 15-20 minutes or until all the vegetables are just tender. 

While the vegetables are steaming, start your oven to preheat at 400°F or 200°C. Peel the onion and cut it into wedges. 

When the vegetables are just tender, tip them into a roasting pan where they fit in a single layer. 

Tuck the onion wedges and garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled, in among the vegetables. Pour over the drizzle of oil, season with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Toss the vegetables gently to make sure they are coated in the oil and seasonings. Roast in your preheated oven for about an hour or until they are golden. 

Check that they are soft inside. If they start to brown too much or too early, turn the oven down to 350°F or 180°C.

While the vegetables are roasting, make the dressing by whisking the olive oil into the pomegranate molasses in a small bowl. 

As soon as the roasted root vegetables come out of the oven, remove the garlic cloves and peel them.

Use the side of a large knife to mash them with a good pinch of fine sea salt. 

Add them to the dressing and whisk well to combine. 

Spoon over the dressing over the vegetables. 

Serve warm.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today my blogger friends and I are sharing recipes to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival which takes place on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. This year, Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Friday, September 29, 2023. Check out all the recipe links below!

• Creamy Cucumber Pasta Salad from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Crockpot Mexican Butternut Squash Soup from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Fresh Fig Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Golden Moon Milk from Culinary Cam
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Sambar from Cook with Renu
• Keto Chilled Cucumber & Avocado Soup from Sneha's Recipe
• Smashed Potatoes from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Warm Root Vegetable Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing from Food Lust People Love

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Carrot Greens Pesto

Don’t waste those carrot tops, make pesto with them! Garlicky, cheesy and rich with toasted pine nuts, carrot greens pesto is a delicious way to take advantage of an ingredient many people cut off and throw away. 

Sometimes I buy carrots in the organic section of the supermarket (or at a farmer’s market) just so I’ll also have the greens to make pesto. It makes me feel virtuous to use something that many people don’t, but best of all, it’s wonderful and fresh. 

On that same subject and nothing to do with this recipe, but did you know you can also eat the greens from beets? I sauté them with garlic and a little olive oil, sprinkle of salt and they are so good! And I get to feel virtuous again. 

Carrot Greens Pesto

My greens were from seven carrots, as you can see in the photos but if you have a bit more or less, it’s still all good. I roasted the carrots and served them with pesto on top for an all-carrot dish. The leftover pesto was fabulous stirred through linguine, always my first choice pasta shape. 

Ingredients

1 cup, packed, or 30g carrot greens, leafy parts only, no stems

Scant 1/3 cup or 50g pine nuts

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil

1/3 cup or 30g freshly grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Method

Toast the pine nuts in a dry non-stick skillet. This doesn't take long, just a few minutes. Keep shaking the pan so they don't burn. 

Cut the ferny ends of the carrot greens off, leaving the harder stems behind. 

Stuff them in your small food processor and add the other ingredients except the Parmesan. 

Process until smooth. Add the Parmesan. Process again. 

Like all pesto, it’s that easy. 

Chill until ready to use. Put some pasta on to boil or roast the accompanying carrots. Pat yourself on the back and feel virtuous. One less item for the compost or trash bin. 

Bonus recipe: Roast Carrots 

Not really a recipe, but here you go. This is how I do it. 

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C. 

Pop the scrubbed carrots in a small pan and drizzle them with olive oil. 

Roast the carrots in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until they are lovely and a little sticky and a fork pokes into them easily. You might want to give them a shake halfway through if your oven doesn't heat evenly all round. 

Top them with the carrot greens pesto and serve warm. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes for homemade sauces. Many thanks to our host Amy of Amy’s Cooking Adventures. Check out all the links below: 

• Nasturtium Pesto by Cook with Renu
• Buffalo Chicken Sauce by Palatable Pastime
• Homemade Marinara Sauce by Sneha's Recipe
• Carrot Greens Pesto by Food Lust People Love
• Rockfish with Cajun Butter Sauce by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Stir-Fried Squid in Black Bean Sauce by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Parsley Walnut Pesto by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Pineapple BBQ Sauce by Amy's Cooking Adventures

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Sticky Pudding Carrot Pineapple Cake

This vegan sticky pudding carrot pineapple cake is aptly named for the sweet ingredients and the more-ish texture. It is divine alone or with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of double cream. Decadent for sure. 

November is World Vegan Month so I thought it would be fun to celebrate that with my Foodie Extravaganza friends. There are so many ingredients and dishes that we eat that are “accidentally” vegan that it makes me crazy when people turn their noses up if they see the label. 

If you’ve ever eaten a salad, vegan. Ditto literally every vegetable or fruit. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, vegan. Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch and Life cereal, vegan. Kraft Creamy Italian Salad Dressing, Campbell’s Mushroom Gravy, Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup, vegan. Lay’s Barbecue Potato Chips, Fritos Barbecue AND Original, all vegan. You can find an ENORMOUS list with just a click. 

And that list is just some of the processed food. 

Cooking at home without including dairy, eggs and meat is super easy. I’ve found some delicious recipes searching not for vegan food but for orthodox lent recipes. Lots of Middle Eastern and Greek dishes that do not disappoint, like my bulgur stuffed peppers! So good. 

Lots of Asian recipes are also accidentally vegan as well, like my coconut chickpea new potato curry and baby eggplant curry (made in an Instant Pot - so quick!) 

Don’t get me wrong, we do eat dairy and meat and eggs but it’s healthier for us and for the planet to try to add meals without them to our menu as well. So that’s always a goal. 

Vegan Sticky Pudding Carrot Pineapple Cake

In the case of this delicious sticky cake recipe, the only substitution required is an alternative “milk.” I did a quick search and most people in my non-judgy vegan Facebook group (they like you wherever you are on the curve of trying to eat more plant-based food) agreed that, for baking, soy milk was best, so that’s what I used. This recipe is adapted from one on Nora Cooks. 

Ingredients

1 lb or 450g peeled carrots

2 1/2 cups or 312g all purpose flour, plus extra for the Bundt pan

1 cup, firmly packed, or 200g brown sugar

1 cup or 200g white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup or 120ml canola oil, plus extra for the Bundt pan

1 cup or 245g crushed pineapple

3/4 cup or 180ml plant-based milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 10-cup Bundt pan by brushing it liberally with oil then coating it with flour. Do not skip this step! Mine stuck on one side, despite my amply preparations. 

Note: I considered afterward that if I baked the cake in a normal pan instead of a Bundt one it might have turned out less puddingy but I have no regrets. My multiple taste testers loved it and that's good enough for me. 

Grate your peeled carrots finely. 

In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients then whisk well. 

Pour in the canola oil, crushed pineapple, milk and vanilla and fold until just combined with a spatula. 

There may still be a little flour showing and that’s just fine. 

Now fold in the grated carrots. Do not over mix the batter. 

Pour the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan.

Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean from the middle. Put foil over the top if it browns too much before it’s cooked through. 

Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. 

Allow to cool for about 20 minutes before loosening the edges and carefully inverting the pan onto the wire rack. I’m not kidding about how sticky it is. If some sticks to the pan, remove it carefully and stick it back on the cake. 

Yeah, that's what going on on the far side. It's not pretty but it's tasty. 

Once cooled completely, slice to serve.  

Enjoy! 

As I mentioned above, it’s time for my Foodie Extravaganza friends to share their recipes, in honor of World Vegan Month. Check out the links below.

• Baba Ghanoush from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Bhendi - Okra Masala Dry from Sneha’s Recipe
• Capsicum Potato Curry - Aloo Shimla Mirch from Sara's Tasty Buds
• Chickpea Falafel Salad from Palatable Pastime
• Lumina Pumpkin Olan from Magical Ingredients
• Sticky Pudding Carrot Pineapple Cake from Food Lust People Love
• Sweet and Sour Eggplant Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board.

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Carrot Pineapple Cake! 

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Potage de Crécy - French Carrot Soup

Potage de Crécy or French Carrot Soup is a traditional dish made from sweet carrots with rice as a thickener. It’s smooth, savory and delicious!

The story behind this very traditional French soup is that is it named for Crécy-en-Ponthieu , a town in northern France that is said to produce carrots with the best flavor in the country. I’ve done a little research and visited several sites about the town and their claim to carrot fame isn’t mentioned these days. 

I did find out more information about the battle that started the Hundred Years’ War which was fought there in 1346.  Despite its name, the war lasted 116 years and involved not just the English who started it by attacking the French on their own soil, but it grew to encompass much of what is now considered Europe. Who knew? 

Certain historians fix the creation of Potage de Crécy on this date, because it would have been made to nourished the British army. In fact, it has also been suggested that the soup was served to triumphant English soldiers after the battle was over, with carrots sourced (pillaged?) from Crécy. Talk about kicking a town when they are already down!

To commemorate the battle, this soup was eaten King Edward VII each year on August 26th, the day of the battle in honor of his ancestor, Edward of Woodstock who led the battle. Today seems an appropriate time to share the recipe. 

Potage de Crécy - French Carrot Soup

I’ve added fine sea salt as an ingredient but how much you will need depends greatly on how salty your stock is. A little salt always seems to help accentuate the sweetness of the carrots though. 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 small shallots, finely chopped

1 small stalk celery, stringed and finely chopped

1 pound sweet carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup or 45g rice, preferably Arborio 

5 1/4 cups or 1.25L chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon sugar

fine sea salt, to taste as needed

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Optional for garnish:

Chopped fresh herbs, such as chives or parsley

1 cup toasted croutons

Method

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium-low heat and add the shallot and celery. 

Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. 

Add the carrots, cover partially and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender and fragrant. 

Add the rice, stock and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, or until the carrots are completely soft.

Blend the soup either with a hand blender or in a blender, in batches. Do be careful not to splash or overfill as the hot soup will scald you. 

Return to the pot. 

Stir and taste. Adjust salt, add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, and heat through. If the sweetness of the carrots needs a boost, add another pinch of sugar.

Serve, garnishing each bowl with sprinkle of herbs. Put the croutons on the table and let people help themselves. (I did make croutons! They just didn't get in the photos.)

Enjoy! 

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- French Carrot Soup!

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Orange Marmalade Carrot Cake #BundtBakers

This orange marmalade carrot cake is a riff on my more traditional carrot cake recipe. The marmalade adds enormous flavor and creates a more-ish sticky glaze as well.

  

Many years ago my mom went through a juicing phase and her refrigerator drawer was always filled with big bags of carrots. She may correct me here but I recall that her favorite was to juice a bunch of carrots and then some oranges. It was a delightful combination with the orange juice enhancing the sweetness of the carrot juice. 

For this Bundt Bakers challenge, that great flavor partnership came to mind and I decided to recreate it in cake form. The batter is a modified version of our family favorite, David’s Carrot Cake and, instead of cream cheese icing, I used more marmalade for an extra boost of orange.

Orange Marmalade Carrot Cake

I baked this cake in a 12-cup Nordic Ware anniversary Bundt pan but it would no doubt fit in a 10-cup one as well. The marmalade adds extra stickiness to the cake, which is delicious, but also means you really need to grease and flour the pan well so it comes out neatly. You have been warned!

Ingredients

2 eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 cups or 300g sugar

3/4 cup or 190 ml canola or other light oil, plus extra for greasing pan

12 oz or 340g carrots

1/2 cup or 155g orange marmalade

2 cups or 250g flour, plus extra for the pan

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

½ teaspoon salt

For the glaze:

1/4 cup or 78g orange marmalade

Splash (or two) water

Method

Peel and cut the stem ends off of your carrots. Cover them with water in a medium sized pot and cook until very fork tender.  

Drain the water off and mash the carrots with a potato masher until there aren’t any lumps. Transfer the mashed carrots to a bowl and leave to cool.

When your carrots are cool and you are ready to start making the batter, preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 10 or 12-cup Bundt pan by brushing it with oil (or butter) and flouring it.

Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl, including the cooled carrots and mix well. 

 

Scrape the bowl down with a rubber spatula and beat for about two more minutes on high.

Pour into your prepared pan.

Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean. Set on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. 

Use a wooden skewer or toothpick to loosen the edges of the cake and invert it on the wire rack. Leave to cool while you make the glaze. As you can see, my cake stuck in a couple of places. Let this be a reminder to you to grease and flour your pan generously!

Gently warm the marmalade in a small pot over a low heat or in a bowl in the microwave. Add small splashes of water, stirring well, until you reach a good brushing or pouring consistency. Spoon or brush the glaze on the warm cake. 

Cool completely before slicing to serve.

 

Enjoy!

It’s time for my Bundt Baker friends to share cake recipes again! This month our chosen ingredient is jams, preserves or marmalades, incorporated in the batter or used as a swirl. Check out all the lovely recipes we have for you below: 

• Eggless Blueberry Preserve Bundt Muffins from Sneha's Recipe
• Jelly Donut Bundt Cake from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Jijona Cream Bundt Cake from Patyco Candybar
• Orange Marmalade Carrot Cake from Food Lust People Love
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Bundt Cake from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Tennessee Jam Bundt from Palatable Pastime

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

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