It’s almost casserole season! The brisk fall weather had me yearning for some nourishing warmth straight from the oven. This cauliflower cake was a simple and healthy dinner option that fulfilled that desire completely.

The cake uses tofu to bind everything together instead of eggs, and softened cauliflower florets give it texture and lots of nutrients. A light seed crust also brings a nice outer crunch and additional interesting flavors, while browned sliced red onion adds a lovely sweetness to the cake.

This cauliflower cake is a really easy and filling dinner that covers all bases and pleases all palettes!

Ingredients
1 cauliflower, cut into florets
kosher salt
1 red onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
2-3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp white sesame seeds
1 Tbsp caraway seeds (or black sesame seeds)
1 package firm tofu
handful fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup vegan mozzarella shreds
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
black pepper
hot sauce for serving, optional

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place cauliflower florets and a sprinkle of salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and place over medium high heat, simmering for about 10 minutes, or until the florets break apart when pressed. Drain and set aside, allowing florets to dry in the colander. Meanwhile, crumble tofu into a food processor and blend until smooth, adding a few drops of water if necessary to loosen (it will be thick, but you should be able to “scoop” it with a spoon). Set aside.

From the red onion, cut 4 slices, each about 1/4 inch thick, off one side. Dice the rest of the onion and place in a skillet with olive oil and rosemary over medium heat. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, brush the base and sides of square 8″ pan with vegetable oil. Mix together the sesame and caraway seeds and toss them around the inside of the pan so that they stick to the sides.

Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add the processed tofu, basil, vegan cheese, flour, baking powder, turmeric, 1 tsp salt, and plenty of pepper. Stir to combine. Gently fold in cauliflower florets. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spreading evenly, and arrange the reserved onion rings on top. Bake until golden brown and set, about 45 minutes. A knife inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with hot sauce if desired.

Serves 4