Tiropita where tiro stands for cheese and pita stands for pie, but when we say cheese pie we get a different picture in our mind and that's why I chose for savory cake as it looks like a bundt cake but it's salty! It's a very easy recipe with lots of grated Halloumi and big chunks of Halloumi, a real treat at any time of the day. It's a well loved cake here on the island and also in Greece, made from aged or hardened pieces of Halloumi cheese. Mrs. Amalia kept hard pieces of Halloumi apart to make this cake, it is a great way to use leftover aged Halloumi pieces as they are hard so they can be grated and when left in its brine also nicely salted. Homemade Halloumi is preferred as it tastes so much better than the vacuum packed Halloumi sold in any supermarket. Actually you need to taste both Halloumi's and then you will know the difference! Mrs. Amalia used to make the cake with fresh milk, but we always found it a bit dry so after some trials and tips of friends I use now evaporated milk and as the cheese is hard, I soak it in the milk 15 to 20 minutes or so before blending it into the cake batter, the result is a lovely moist cake truly a better version, so much better in taste and texture. I also like to add on the top big chunks of fresh Halloumi cheese and apart from the dry mint also lots of fresh mint which is in season now anyway! Excellent for breakfast with or without jam, at coffee time, tea time, well at any time of the day!
Ingredients:
200 grams of aged or hardened chunks of Halloumi cheese.
5 medium eggs.
175 gr oil.
1 can of evaporated milk (380gr).
400 gr flour 00.
3 teaspoons full baking powder.
200 gr Halloumi (see above) grated.
dry mint.
fresh mint.
100 to150 gr fresh Halloumi.
Method:
Start by pre-heating the oven (conventional) on 180 degrees C.
Slightly oil a large bundt cake form and coat with flour. Set aside.
Grate the 200 grams of aged or hardened Halloumi chunks and transfer to a bowl, add the evaporated milk and set aside to soak. In this way the cheese will be more soft in the cake and the result will be a delicious moist cake. In the meantime prepare the cake batter as follows.
In a large mixer bowl add the oil. Break the eggs in a small bowl.
Add the eggs one by one to the oil and mix well with a mixer.
Add the soaked grated Halloumi and mix slightly.
Add the dry mint and mix.
Above another bowl sieve the flour and the baking powder.
Add the flour little by little to the mixture in the large mixer bowl.
Add the coarsely chopped fresh mint and mix slightly or stir with a spatula.
Chop the fresh Halloumi into large chunks.
Pour the batter into the bundt form and place the chunks of Halloumi on top, sprinkle with some fresh mint as well. It will look stunning when ready baked.
Bake the cake in the already hot oven for 50 - 60 minutes. After 50 minutes try if the cake is ready baked with a satay stick or a knife. If it comes out clean the cake is ready, if not, bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the form onto a cooling rack.
Enjoy - Καλή όρεξη!!