Oooh La La! French Savoury Ham, Cheese and Olive Cake

French Tart's Note:

Another one of my savoury "cake" recipes from France. This recipe is slightly more substantial than my Chic and Cheerful - Savoury French Olive, Cheese and Onion Cake, as this recipe contains ham with white wine and port! Serve this as alternative sandwich bread or as a light snack spread with cream cheese or butter. This cake recipe will also make fantastic little appetisers if the loaf is cut into small cubes and served with olives, cubes of cheese and savoury spreads. Please note that the texture of this savoury cake is NOT like a sweet dessert cake - it will be slightly holey with a robust and slightly chewy texture, almost like sourdough.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 10

Yield: 1.0 Savoury ...

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups plain white flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup port wine
• 1 1/2 cups pitted green olives or 1 1/2 cups pitted black olives
• 2 cups chopped ham
• 2 cups gruyere or 2 cups emmenthaler cheese
• salt
• pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 200C or 400°F.
2. In a bowl beat the eggs until pale yellow and frothy.
3. Stir in flour, baking powder, olive oil, melted butter, wine and port.
4. Chop the ham, cube the cheese and slice the olives.
5. Stir in ham, cheese, olives, salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pour into greased bread tin, loaf tin or cake pan (11 X 4 inches would be a good size).
7. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown.
8. Serve cold in slices or as sandwich bread.
9. This can be frozen in slices or as one whole loaf.

Reviews

[MsPia]

Very, very tasty. Gruyere is always the magic ingredient. But it was seriously an investment to make this recipe.

[Potluck]

I made this today..I found gruyere cheese at the deli for $18.00 a lb. So, needless to say I substituted. I used a mix of swiss and marble jack. I also used green olives and added (1/2 tsp salt ,big mistake,green olives were salty enough).and 1/4 tsp pepper. I greased a 11x5 pan very well (should of pam sprayed)and (it still stuck)used my conv oven,took 40 minuites to bake..No one liked this,thought it was too salty,had too much olives and ham..And it stuck horribley,I would recommend pam for sure...I did not give this a rating as everyones taste are different..

[Cheri 911]

I have used this recipe several times now, making substitutions depending on what I had on hand as far as cheese and olives, and even the wines. Each time it has been an out of the ballpark hit. Thanks for sharing!