French Savory Cake (Cake Salé) with Ham, Cheese, and Olives
This classic French savory cake (cake salé) is a moist, tender loaf packed with ham, aged cheese, and olives. Serve it warm or at room temperature for l’apéro, picnics, brunch, or an easy make-ahead appetizer.
Servings 1 loaf cake (see note for other size options)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp Herbes de Provence
- ½ tsp kosher salt or fine sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup grated Comté, Gruyère, or aged cheddar cheese (4 oz)
- ¾ cup diced cooked ham (3.5 oz)
- ¾ cup pitted green or black olives (3 oz)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 5-in (23 x 12 cm) loaf pan. Line the bottom and the two long sides of the pan with a sling of parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper.
- In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, and olive oil until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula just until combined. Avoid overmixing. Fold in the cheese, ham, and olives.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface.
- Bake until the cake is puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges if necessary, then use the parchment sling to lift the cake out of the pan. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- Slice and serve at room temperature, or warm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 10 minutes before serving.
- MAKE-AHEAD AND STORAGE: This French savory cake is even better after it has had time to rest. Let it cool completely, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for up to 1 week. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
Notes
Using Greek yogurt: Regular plain yogurt works best because of its looser consistency. If using thick Greek yogurt, mix approximately 3 parts yogurt with 1 part milk before measuring it for the recipe.
For the best rise: This is naturally a fairly dense, moist cake rather than a tall, airy loaf. Whisk the wet ingredients thoroughly before combining them with the dry ingredients, mix the batter only until combined, and make sure your baking powder is fresh.
Other pan sizes: You can divide the batter between two small loaf pans (about 6 x 3.5-in / 15 x 9 cm) and bake for about 25 minutes. You can also bake the batter in a standard muffin pan lined with parchment paper cups for about 20 minutes, or until lightly golden and cooked through.
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