HAM AND PARMESAN CAKE

With the arrival of hot and humid days, we are all a little too "tired" to bother about cooking anything really elaborate and we surely don't want to sweat like monkeys in our kitchens!!! We need botherless, yet scrumptious food bursting with seasonal flavors...

This "Ham And Parmesan Cake" is then perfect as it can be eaten as a complete meal with a salad or just cut into fingerfood-sized cubes for your apperitive. Accompanied by a fine glass of rosé or white wine, this cake will be very successful as it offers an ideal alternative to a traditional meal cooked and prepared for hours in a kitchen feeling more like the entrails of Hell than Paradise!!!

Very summery in taste and not too calorically rich, this savory bakery item is exactly what you need to treat your body and soul with!...

I have "created" this recipe by comparing and compiling different recipes and keeping only what I wanted, so I hope you'll enjoy this cake!

Makes 1 cake.

Ingredients:
200g Plain white flour
3 1/2 Tsp Baking powder
4 Eggs (~50g)
1 1/3 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Castor sugar
1/2 Tsp Garlic powder
1/5 Tsp Ground paprika
Pepper, to taste
50-60ml Beer
40ml Olive oil
150g Green olives, pitted and quartered
170g Ham, cubed (small)
110g Parmesan cheese, grated
8 Leaves basil, chopped

- Olives from the market.-

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
2. In a small bowl, combine the sieved flour and baking powder.
3. In a big bowl, mix together the eggs, salt, sugar, garlic powder, paprika and pepper.
4. Beat this mixture until doubled, fluffy and white.
5. Continue beating while adding the beer and oil.
6. Add the flour, slowly and mix delicately with a spatula.
7. Once the flour has been fully integrated, add the olives, ham, Parmesan and basil.
8. Give a quick mix and pour into a 25x15cm (9.8x5.9 inches) baking pan.
9. Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when incerted within the center of the cake.
10. Cool on rack for about 5 minutes and remove from the pan. Cool for another 10-15 minutes.
11. Eat warm.

Remarks:
Instead of beer you can use white wine, but it will give a more acid and alcoholic taste to your cake.
If you wish, you can replace the Parmesan by any cheese of your choice (as long as it melts and is similar in texture).
The mixture might need a bit more beer, so keep an eye on it and add as much as needed.

Serving suggestions:
Eat warm, lukewarm or cold.
Butter your slices and serve with a fresh green salad or cut mediums cubes and serve with other apperitive items (crisps, vegetables & dips, etc...).