Bacon and Olive Loaf or “Cake aux Olives”

Yes I know that the name cake will usually conjure up images of something sweet with a cup of tea but in France the word ‘cake’ really refers to the loaf form, be that savoury or sweet. This is one of my staple recipes – great as an aperitif or as a light meal with some salad. There are lots of variants to the basic ingredients which I will share in the upcoming months.

Ingredients :

3 eggs
150g flour
1 heaped teaspoon of baking powder
10cl sunflower oil
12.5cl hot milk
100g grated gruyere (or cheddar or any hard cheese you fancy!)
200g of cooked bacon or ham or lardons etc
75g green olives
Salt and Pepper

Method :

Pre-heat oven to 180°C
Chop bacon/ham and olives
In a large bowl beat the eggs with the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper
Slowly add the oil and the hot milk, mixing all the time with a whisk
Add the grated cheese and then the bacon/ham and olives
Pour the mixture into a loaf tin and cook for 45 minutes