HALLOWEEN: Cake #65 - Mozzarella and Roasted Pepper Cake

Savoury Saturday Cake - Mozzarella and Roasted Pepper Cake with Smoked Paprika, Black Olives and Tortilla Chips.

I think Halloween one of the most relaxed holidays what comes to food. You can put an effort in it but you do not have to - which kind of makes it so grand. I can and I want but I am not expected to make anything specific (like, let's say, Christmas would not be Christmas without gravadlax salmon) so I always end up making lots of things, and I also enjoy making things for Halloween because nobody or rather, nothing, is pushing me. 

I may not need to make any specific dish or cake but I can make a lot of special dishes and cakes. If you know what I mean. 

Halloween is soon here. Whether you celebrate it or not, at least use it as an excuse to bake or cook something Halloweenish. A cake, perhaps?

Mozzarella and Roasted Pepper Cake

150 g soft butter

50 ml soft brown sugar

25 ml dark syrup

2 eggs

½ tsp salt

400 ml plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp smoked paprika

100 ml creme fraiche

200 g grated Mozzarella (leave some to sprinkle on top)

small fresh peppers

black olives

tortilla chips

salsa and creme fraiche to serve

1. Heat the oven to 175 C / 350 F and grease and flour a 20 cm x 20 cm square pan.

2. Mix together the dry ingredients.

3. Cream together butter, sugar and syrup.

4. Add eggs and mix well.

5. Add the dry ingredients, creme fraiche and most of the grated Mozzarella.

6. Pour the mixture into the pan. 

9. Bake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes.

10. Sprinkle Mozzarella on top and put back into the oven for another 5 minutes so that the cheese melts.

10. Let cool before removing from pan.

To decorate

1. Roast peppers in hot oven (250 C / 480 F) for about 10 minutes so that they soften a little. 

2. Remove the stems if you like.

3. Decorate the cake with peppers, olives and tortilla chips and serve warm with salsa and creme fraiche.