Mushroom Lentil Loaf "Cake" with Garlic Mashed Potato "Frosting"

Confuse your senses with this savory cake.

Fill the middle of the "cake" with the balsamic glaze.

Add detail to really sell the cake look.

The inside of the cake closely resembles carrot cake.

Ingredients

Mushroom Lentil Loaf

• 200g (1 cup) dry brown lentils

• 3 large carrots, finely diced

• 1 onion, finely diced

• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, finely diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp ketchup

• 2 tbsp dried oregano

• 1 tbsp dried thyme

• 2 eggs, whisked

• 120g (1 1/3 cups) rolled oats (or breadcrumbs)

Balsamic Glaze

• 75g ketchup

• 4tbsp balsamic vinegar

Garlic Mashed Potato Frosting

• 4 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces

• 1 tbsp salt for cooking the potatoes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

Mushroom Lentil Loaf

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line two 9-inch cake tins with parchment paper.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the lentils for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain well.

3. Either finely dice the carrots, onions, mushrooms, and bell pepper, or pulse in a food processor until finely diced.

4. Mash the lentils a little bit. Add in the diced carrots, onions, mushrooms, bell pepper, garlic, soy sauce, ketchup, oregano, and thyme. Mix well and adjust the seasonings to taste.

5. Whisk in the eggs and then the oats. If the mixture seems too wet still, add more oats.

6. Divide the mixture evenly among the two cake pans. Press down to compress the loaves. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

7. Remove the loaves from the cake tins and let them cool completely.

Balsamic Glaze

1. Combine the ketchup and vinegar in a small bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between until the sauce thickens slightly.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

1. Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Boil the potatoes until fork-tender. Reserve approximately 1 cup of cooking water. Drain the potatoes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small pan. Saute the garlic until fragrant.

3. Combine the potatoes, garlic and olive oil, and coconut oil in a large bowl or stand mixer. Add in a splash of the reserved cooking water.

4. Mash the potatoes until smooth. Add more cooking water as needed to achieve a smooth, frosting-like consistency. Adjust the flavors to taste.

Assembly

1. Smear a tiny bit of mashed potatoes on the bottom of a plate or cake stand to hold the cake in place. Place one loaf on top.

2. Spread the glaze over this layer, keeping a thin border on the edge so that the glaze doesn't drip off of the cake. Top with the other layer.

3. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top and sides of the cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth it out. If desired, use a piping bag to add details.

4. Slice like a cake and serve. This dish is best enjoyed warm.

Note

• To make this as a normal loaf, cook in a loaf pan for 45-55 minutes and then top with the glaze and potatoes.