If you’re looking for a different way to cook eggplants, the eggplant cake with ham and mozzarella is a delicious recipe that you can use both as an appetizer and as a main dish. It’s essentially a variant of the classic potato cake, but with eggplants as the stars. These will be cooked whole and with the skin in the microwave or traditional oven, using only the pulp, much like in babaganoush, in the melitzanosalata, and in other similar preparations. Once cooked, the eggplant cake will have a crispy crust on the surface, thanks to the breadcrumbs, and a soft, tasty, and stringy heart… a delight to be enjoyed hot or at room temperature. Try this recipe and let yourself be conquered by Mediterranean flavors. The eggplant cake will soon become one of your favorite dishes!
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eggplant cake with ham and mozzarella recipe cake with blended eggplant pulp the chicco di mais

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Very Cheap
Rest time: 15 Minutes
Preparation time: 45 Minutes
Portions: 4 People
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All Seasons

316.00 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 316.00 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 28.73 (g) of which sugars 9.33 (g)
Proteins 18.89 (g)
Fat 14.89 (g) of which saturated 7.85 (g)of which unsaturated 5.33 (g)
Fibers 7.94 (g)
Sodium 566.47 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients for a 20 cm (8-inch) Diameter Eggplant Cake

If you are celiac, in addition to using gluten-free breadcrumbs, make sure that the cooked ham label also says “gluten-free”.

2.2 lbs black oval eggplants
1 egg
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
3/4 cup breadcrumbs (+ as needed for the surface; for me gluten-free)
1.76 oz cooked ham
5.3 oz mozzarella
1 pinch salt
1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil
A few leaves basil
A few leaves mint
1 pinch oregano
as needed pepper
1 clove garlic (optional)

Tools

1 Microwave Oven
1 Strainer
1 Blender large
1 Garlic Press optional
1 Bowl
1 Cake Pan 20 cm (8-inch) diameter
Parchment Paper

How to Prepare Eggplant Cake with Ham and Mozzarella

To prepare the eggplant cake, start by washing and drying the eggplants. Pierce them here and there with a fork to let the steam escape during cooking (1). If you have a microwave, you can cook them in a few minutes following the directions you find here. If you don’t have one, place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cook them in the oven at 392°F (fan) for about 45 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking. When they are soft, remove the stalk and peel them with the help of a knife (2). Cut the pulp into pieces (3).
Put it a little at a time in a strainer and press it well with the back of a spoon to remove excess water (4). This way, you won’t need to add much breadcrumbs to give consistency to the mixture. Transfer the pulp to a blender and add basil, mint, oregano, a good pinch of salt, and a grind of pepper (5). Also add, if you like, a clove of garlic pressed with the garlic press (6).
Blend thoroughly until you get a smooth mixture (7). Note that the eggplants tend to stick to the blender glass, so it can be useful to briefly mix everything with a spoon and then continue blending. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add an egg (8). Mix it carefully using a spoon, then also add Parmesan and breadcrumbs (9).
Mix well until you get a smooth and fairly firm mixture (10). Cut the mozzarella and cooked ham into cubes and add them to the mixture (11). Mix to distribute them evenly (12).
Line a 20 cm diameter cake pan with parchment paper. If you want to use a cake pan of different dimensions, this guide will help you recalculate the doses in proportion to the size of the pan. Pour the mixture into it and level it well with the back of a spoon (13). Finish with some breadcrumbs and a drizzle of oil (14). Bake the eggplant cake in the preheated oven at 356°F (static) for about 45 minutes, until it is golden on the surface (15).
Take it out of the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes before slicing, otherwise if too hot, you won’t be able to form neat slices. Serve the eggplant cake with ham and mozzarella hot or at room temperature.