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Zucchini Cake with Tomatoes
Instructions
I prepare all the ingredients for the zucchini cake – this is an important working principle of chefs. I take firm, fleshy tomatoes, young milk zucchinis with tender skin, sour cream of any fat content (15–25%), and a hard cheese with good melting properties.
For the fragrant sauce that coats the cake, I finely chop a small bunch of parsley with a sharp knife – a fine chop distributes evenly in the sour cream and gives the most aroma when the layers soak.
I mix the chopped parsley with 300 g of sour cream in a deep bowl. Then I press in 1 large clove of garlic through a press – pressed garlic gives a more delicate aroma than chopped. Finely grated garlic also works.
I season the sour cream sauce with a pinch of ground black pepper and a pinch of salt to taste, and stir thoroughly with a spoon until completely smooth. The sauce should turn out green-and-white, fragrant, and slightly spicy from the garlic.
I trim the zucchinis (850 g) at both ends. If they are young with tender skin, I do not peel them and grate them coarsely straight away – there are more vitamins in the skin. For older, large specimens I first peel the skin with a vegetable peeler and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, otherwise they make the pancakes watery.
In a small bowl I mix 2 chicken eggs with 1 tsp of fine salt – whisking lightly with a fork until smooth. Salt distributes more evenly in the eggs than in the zucchini mass.
I pour the salted eggs into the grated zucchini shavings and mix thoroughly – the eggs bind the mass and stop the zucchini from falling apart while frying.
Into the same bowl I add 1 tbsp of odourless vegetable oil – it makes the pancakes more elastic and prevents them sticking to the pan from inside the batter.
I add 50 g of flour first and check the consistency. The right batter resembles thick sour cream: a spoon drips off it slowly. If the mass is too runny because of juicy zucchini, I add the remaining 20 g of flour to the right thickness. Too much flour makes the pancakes dense and rubbery.
I prepare the tomatoes (450 g) separately. So that they slice neatly and are more tender, I remove the skin: I make a cross-shaped cut at the stem of each tomato and lower them into a bowl of boiling water for 1–2 minutes. After that the skin comes off easily with fingers or a knife. I cut the peeled tomatoes into thin slices 3–4 mm thick – thick ones release a lot of juice into the cake.
Before frying each pancake, I grease the frying pan (no more than 20 cm in diameter for convenience) with odourless vegetable oil using a silicone brush – a thin, even layer is enough. A silicone brush gives the right distribution.
I spoon the zucchini batter out (about 3.5 tbsp per pancake) and level the mass across the entire diameter of the pan into an even layer 3–4 mm thick with the back of the spoon. I set the heat closer to minimum – on high the pancake burns on the outside and stays raw inside.
After about 4 minutes on low heat the top layer should dry out and become matte – that is the signal to flip. I carefully run a silicone spatula around the perimeter, separating the pancake from the sides, and lift it from one edge.
I slide a wide spatula fully under the pancake and, with a confident quick motion, flip it to the other side. The second side fries faster – about 2–3 minutes. If the pancake does not come away well, increase the frying time of the first side by 1 minute.
So that the finished pancakes do not break under the weight of the others, I place each one on a separate plate – I do not stack them in a pile. From the stated amount of batter you get 4–5 pancakes 20 cm in diameter.
I cut the peeled tomatoes into thin slices 3–4 mm thick with a sharp knife – this thickness gives even layers in the finished cake.
I start assembling the home-made zucchini cake on a serving plate. First I spread the first pancake with 2 tbsp of the sour cream sauce in an even layer – do not be stingy, it is the sauce that soaks the cake and binds all the layers.
On top of the sauce I lay tomato slices in a single overlapping layer – that way they do not show as a separate stripe in the cross-section of the cake. I place the next pancake, then sauce and a layer of tomatoes again. I continue with the remaining pancakes, leaving only the last one for decorating the top.
I finely grate 80 g of hard cheese onto a separate plate. Use a cheese with good melting properties – Russian, Gouda, or Parmesan. Cheese grated on a fine grater gives a more even decoration.
On the last, top pancake I arrange the tomato slices in a neat border around the perimeter, leaving the centre clean. I fill the centre with grated cheese – this creates an appetising contrast of the red border and the yellow centre. The zucchini cake with tomatoes is ready! I put it on the table after letting the cake stand for 10 minutes to soak in the sauce. The pancakes slice beautifully with a sharp knife together with the tender tomatoes.
Tips
- 1
Use a frying pan no more than 20 cm in diameter – the pancakes are much easier to flip and do not break when handled. A large pan (24–28 cm) makes the pancakes too thin and fragile.
- 2
Grate young zucchinis with the skin on – it is tender and contains more vitamins. Older, large specimens must be peeled and seeded, otherwise the cake turns out watery and less tasty.
- 3
Be sure to peel the tomatoes – this way the home-made cake is more tender, slices more easily with a knife, and the tomato layers melt appetisingly in the mouth. The boiling-water trick takes only 2 minutes, but the result is worth it.
- 4
Let the cake stand for at least 10 minutes before serving, and ideally 30–40 minutes for the pancakes to soak through with the sauce fully. The cake is especially tasty after 1 hour of resting.
FAQ
Why do the zucchini pancakes fall apart when flipping? +
The main reasons are: the pancakes are too thin (make them 3–4 mm thick, no thinner), the zucchini batter is too runny (add another 10–20 g of flour), the first side has not fried enough (wait 4 minutes until the surface is matte), or the pan is not heated evenly (use one with a thick base). It also helps to add 1 extra egg to the batter for a better bind. A handy trick – before flipping, run a silicone spatula around the perimeter, separating the pancake from the sides. Flip with one confident motion, not partially.
Can the zucchini cake be made in advance? +
Yes, the pancakes can be fried in advance and kept in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. But assemble the cake with the sauce and tomatoes only before serving (no more than 1 hour ahead) – the finished cake quickly releases juice. An already assembled cake keeps in the refrigerator for up to 1 day, but on the second day the pancakes may become soggy from the tomato juice and sauce. For maximum freshness, make the sauce, slice the tomatoes, and assemble the cake right before serving – the active assembly time is only 5 minutes when the pancakes are ready.
What can replace sour cream in the sauce for the zucchini cake? +
Great substitution options are: Greek yogurt (300 g, a lighter and more sour taste, suitable for healthy eating), mayonnaise (200 g, richer and more intense), cream cheese such as Philadelphia (250 g, a denser texture), or home-made 5% cottage cheese (300 g, blended until smooth for a creamy consistency). A 50/50 mix of sour cream and mayonnaise gives the richest taste with a balance of lightness and fat. For a vegan version, use a plant-based yogurt made from coconut or soy. Each substitution changes the character of the home-made recipe – choose according to your preference.
What to serve with zucchini cake with tomatoes? +
Zucchini cake is a self-sufficient cold appetiser, but it goes well with a few additions. For a festive presentation – fresh vegetables (cherry tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, spring onions) and fresh herbs. For drinks – dry white wine, mint lemonade, or iced tea with lemon. As a pairing – slices of warm bread with rosemary or garlic croutons. For a hearty dinner, serve it with a slice of cold boiled or baked chicken. The home-made cake is perfect for a buffet, a picnic, a summer gathering, or a light lunch.
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