Ingredients

• Bread, baked in a springform pan (I used my White Whole Wheat Bread - recipe here)
• Your favorite sandwich fillings (I used my Delightfully Dilly Egg Salad - recipe here and my Asparagus Salmon Salad - recipe here)
• Cucumbers and/or sweet onions, sliced
• Asparagus spears
For the savory cream cheese "frosting":
• 8 oz. light cream cheese
• 8 oz. nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic power
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
For decoration:
• Carrot "flowers"
• Fresh basil leaves
• Snipped chives
• Other vegies, edible flowers or herbs as desired

Instructions

1. Mix up your bread and bake it in a round springform pan (or two). When it is done, let the bread cool, then slice horizontally to make 3 "layers". Slice off the rounded top and use it for another purpose.
2. Mix up the sandwich fillings and slice the cucumbers (and/or onions) and set aside.
3. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Steam the asparagus spears until crisp tender and brilliant green in color (poke with a knife to test tenderness), then immediately plunge the asparagus into the ice water to stop the cooking.
4. Prepare the carrot flowers by cutting ridges into a carrot, then rounding the edges with a knife and deepen the ridges with a large wooden skewer. Cut into slices to make flowers. (Google "how to make a carrot flower" for a tutorial.)
5. Mix up the "frosting" by blending together the cream cheese, Greek yogurt and seasonings with a mixer on high until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
6. Turn the bread layers upside down and set aside the bottom layer of bread (the one that was on the bottom as it baked). Set one "layer" of bread on the serving platter and spread with the first sandwich filling, top with cucumber and/or onion slices, then add the next layer and spread with the second sandwich filling. Again, top with cucumber and/or onion slices, then set the reserved top layer on, with the cut side down so the flat baked side is on top.
7. Using a butter knife, spread the whole "cake" with the cream cheese mixture and smooth it out, then stick asparagus spears on the sides of the cake, cutting off the bottoms to make the spears just the right height for the cake. Decorate the top of the cake with carrot flowers and basil leaves and sprinkle with chives.

Notes