Five ways to broaden your tea-time horizons

You might not associate cakes with olive oil or mushrooms or ham, but here are five ways to broaden your tea-time horizons. Recipes are by Hilary Biller, prepared by Lucy Markewicz, with styling by Claire Clark.

Baby marrow and mushroom cheesecake Ingredients for cake

50g fresh brown breadcrumbs

50g oats

75g butter, melted

Salt and pepper, to taste Ingredients for filling

250g garlic-and-herb cream cheese 3 extra-large eggs, separated

150g white cheddar, grated

30g Parmesan, finely grated

175ml thick, plain yoghurt

100g baby marrows, grated

100g button mushrooms, finely chopped 5ml (1 tsp) mustard powder

Dash of cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C. Mix together breadcrumbs, oats, butter, salt and pepper, and press into the base of a sprayed 20cm loose-bottomed cake pan.

Beat together cream cheese and egg yolks. Add cheddar, Parmesan, yoghurt, marrows, mushrooms, mustard powder and cayenne pepper, and mix well. Season to taste. Whisk egg whites until stiff, adding a pinch of salt, then fold into the batter and spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then loosen edges with knife and turn out. Serve warm or cold.

Mini ham and olive loaves Ingredients for cake

240g (2 cups) cake flour

10ml (2 tsp) baking powder

2.5ml (½ tsp) paprika

Leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme

60g Parmesan, grated

150g ham or cooked streaky bacon, chopped 60g green olives, pitted and finely chopped 6-8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

2.5ml (½ tsp) salt

2.5ml (½ tsp) pepper

150ml olive oil

185ml (¾ cup) buttermilk

4 extra-large eggs

Handful white and black sesame seeds

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Sift flour, baking powder and paprika into a bowl.

Stir in thyme leaves, Parmesan, ham, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper.

In a jug, whisk together oil, buttermilk and eggs.

Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined.

Pour into prepared mini loaf or muffin pans sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle over sesame seeds.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden and a toothpick or skewer comes out clean. You could also use a 23cm loose-bottomed cake pan and bake for 45 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

Serve warm with lots of butter.

For a vegetarian option, replace ham with a can of whole-kernel corn, well drained.