French Savory Loaf Cake (Gâteau salé)

French Savory Loaf cake (known as Gâteau salé or cake salé) with olive oil, ham, Feta cheese, green olives and milk. A traditional French appetizer (or brunch) recipe for all occasion and seasons.

Behind the Bites:

The now popular versions of cake salé made it’s way into modern French cuisine many years ago. In the early days, savory cakes were often made in rural areas using leftover ingredients. They were a way to avoid food waste and create a hearty, nutritious meals that kept well.

Traditional ingredients for French savory cake include a base of flour, eggs, and milk, with the addition of cheese, ham, olives, vegetables, and herbs. Over time, regional variations emerged featuring dried tomatoes, camembert cheese and so forth.

Once you get the base right, the rest is just for better taste or managing food waste. I bet this cake is an excellent way to use up leftover chicken or other ingredients too.

Ingredients and Substitutions

1. Flour – all purpose unbleached white flour is needed
2. Milk – cow’s milk approx. 2-4% fat will do
3. Olive oil – or other vegetable oil or butter
4. Eggs
5. Baking powder
6. Additions: Feta Cheese, Ham, Green Olives, Estragon, Nutmeg, pinch of salt

NOTE: You can throw just about anything into this recipe and mix it up to suit your taste. I’ll sometimes go with shredded courgette, sun-dried tomatoes, a bit of rosemary, chorizo, or walnuts. Not all together, mind you—pick and choose what works best.