Love the idea of a guilt-free cake? Well now you can have your cake and eat it…

There’s a new craze that has hit Japan; ‘salad cakes’ – basically salads disguised as cakes that cleverly hide layers of rainbow coloured super food ingredients and gluten free bases. The ‘frosting’ is composed of whipped tofu or cream cheese – all dyed using vegetables to add a bright pop of colour.

I had to give this one a go…but to elevate my salad cakes into natural gorgeousness I decided to call upon my friend Veronica Roig Torres who grows edible flowers on her stunning organic farm.

She has recently set up her company Ibiza Passion Flower and sells her beautiful wares to fellow chefs and restaurant across the island.

These delicate stunning flowers are literally good enough to eat! I’m told they have health and healing properties too.

I have also used purple basil flowers that I have grown in my garden, so pretty – similar to mini foxgloves. Be careful in choosing flowers to eat, some are pretty toxic and can give you a sore belly. Do a quick Google and you’ll be able to decipher what’s edible and what’s not. My pick of the bunch are violets, dandelions, nasturtiums, pansies, jasmine, rose, orange blossom, lavender, marigolds, chamomile, hibiscus, cornflowers and any flowering herbs such as chives, basil and sage.

The Salad cake was made with layers of cucumber, grated carrots, sunblush tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, beetroot, red cabbage and red onion.

All covered with a beetroot, yoghurt tahini – the choice is entirely yours!

On further salad cake research I’ve also found out that there has been a revival in Sweden of Smörgåstårta – a sandwich cake traditionally using egg, vegetables, seafood, ham, pate, smoked salmon or caviar and all garnished to resemble an elaborate and sometimes gaudy cake that are served at birthday parties and family events.

Such a fab idea. I used rye bread as a base with a homemade avocado basil pesto…

…and layers of chargrilled courgettes, red peppers and aubergines.

All topped with a homemade yoghurt cheese (labneh) or you can use cream cheese mixed with Greek yoghurt.

So whether you are going to have a go at making a salad cake or a sandwich cake my recipe is more of a direction – you can vary it according to your own preferences – you can make it as lavish and indulgent as you like, low fat, vegan…whatever tickles your fancy.

As long as it looks beautiful and is made with love, you can’t go wrong!

Ingredients for the Sandwich Cake

Thinly sliced rye bread (sour dough bread or any bread of choice)

Avocado pesto (or good quality pesto)

1-2 large red peppers

2 courgettes

1 aubergine

½ red onion

Fresh basil leaves

350g labneh (check in recipe section)

Or use one tub cream cheese mixed with 1 carton of greek yoghurt

Edible flowers to decorate

Ingredients for the Salad Cake

2 carrots grated

½ cucumber

Handful rocket (or spinach)

Red cabbage shredded

¼ red onion

Sun blush tomatoes

Toasted pumpkin seeds

Edible flowers to decorate

Or just use any salad items of your choice!

The beetroot tahini icing

150g tahini paste

200g cream cheese (or vegan yoghurt)

Fresh beetroot juice (from cooked beetroot)

Optional Fillings

Just have fun and use any filling you want…

• Prawns, crab
• Smoked salmon/poached salmon
• Soft boiled egg
• Chargrilled chicken
• Tofu, Hummus
• Buratta / mozzarella
• Micro cress and seeds to decorate

Method

1. Arrange the bread on the base of a spring form cake tin and spread the avocado pesto evenly over the whole surface (leaving some for the top layer) now start layering the roasted vegetables and a scattering of basil, sea slat and ground pepper as you go.
2. Spread the remaining pesto over the bread for the top layer (put it pesto side down otherwise it will bleed into the frosting).
3. Cover with cling film and put a weight on top to compress the filling down.
4. Apply the cream cheese frosting and decorate with edible flowers.
5. Serve straight away (although it does keep well for a couple of days in the fridge).