Olive Cake
In the fall of 2015, my husband and I spent a lovely vacation in the Provençal countryside with our friend Stéphane Gabart. If you’re not familiar with him, you should be. He’s a professional culinary guide, chef and photographer. View his inspiring work at his website Stéphane Gabart.
Before this trip I’d already visited him twice – once with my daughter, and the other time with a girlfriend.
This trip was different in that we traveled from Bordeaux through Provence, ending up at le Côte d’Azur. So for two full weeks, we really saw Provence, thanks to the itinerary Stéphane customized for us. I wasn’t familiar with many of the villages, like Boulbon, Gordes, Grasse, and Tourrettes. All were awe-inspiring.
Near Aix en Provence, we visited a working olive farm, Bastide du Laval, had a tasting, and walked the trails amongst the olive groves.
This photo shows Niçoise olives ripening.
At every happy hour in Provence, along with our cocktails, we were served olives. Some were whole, some were made into tapenade, and all were delicious.
At one hotel we were served olives with what I’m sure was olive cake – a savory quick bread baked in a loaf pan, called cake salé in France.
The olive cake I’m making today is reminiscent of the lovely bread I enjoyed while sipping rosé underneath golden sycamores. Who doesn’t love that?!
This is the recipe I’m using, although I can’t credit anyone or any publication; I couldn’t even find it online.
Savory Olive Cake
I pretty much made the recipe as is, except for increasing the cheese to 7 ounces, all grated, and omitting the ham.
The bread/cake turned out perfectly.
I served it still warm with cheese, olives, salami and oven-roasted tomatoes.
I think the cake would have been fine with just the olive oil and tapenade, but the chopped olives added a nice texture.
Next time I will make this olive cake the same way.
note: I omitted the ham in this specific recipe, but if you want something more fun, check out my raclette quick bread, pictured below.
It contains sun-dried tomatoes, pancetta, raclette, olives, and herbs. It just shows how creative you can get with a basic savory quick bread recipe!
About the Author: Chef Mimi
It was really an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime trip.
A good olive cake for apéro is lovely. I am not a fan of green olives and always use black olives. My favourites are a very spicy Greek olive with birds eye chillis. Addictive, I have 6 with my apero every evening.
These are picholine olives, from Provence. Really really good!!!
The choice of olives is quite amazing. My olive seller at the market on Tuesdays has at least 12 different kinds on any given day.
I’m so envious !
love it,I saved recipe!
Thank you – you’ll love it!
We fight over green olives in restaurants! Love the idea of this cake, especially with the cheese. Think it’s one to try out on the neighbours :)
It really came out perfectly!
I’d never had thought of making an olive cake savoury (in fact, I haven’t ever made olive cake, but usually the ones you see aren’t savoury ones).
I just detected a feature photo of you in one of Stéphane’s post – great picture!
Oh no, I’ve been with the grand baby today – I’ll have to check that out!!!
what a nice picture, and the recipe must be delicious….. >
Merci Maman!
Great pictures, Mimi. Cake aux olives is a wonderful picnic staple in France. I love how the olives make it moist and fragrant. I could have it any time during the summer. I once spent a summer in Provence, and a local wine-grower invited me and a some friends to a tasting, but he got really upset that somebody brought an olive cake, as he said it would adulterate our perception of the wine (he was certainly right, but I still enjoyed the two together, rosé and olive cake… yum).
Yeah, it seems like the two go really really well together!!!
Another stunning recipe (and photos), Mimi… thank you. Thanks for the links to your raclette recipe, too, as well as “My French Heaven.” Good reading and good eating!
Aw, thank you. That means a lot.
Sounds lovely. Beautiful photos! :)
Thank you!
I love everything about this and have pinned this for later. What a great vacation!
Thank you!
Can’t wait to try this. Hope it works well with kalamata olives.
Hi! I think it would, but maybe use a tapenade that isn’t all Kalamatas? They so wonderful, but strongly flavored.
Looks great…thanks for sharing the recipe and your story
You are so welcome!
Yum Chef Mimi I love olives and so know I’d enjoy this bread – always nice too when food brings back happy holiday memories 😊
Absolutely!
The olive cake looks delicious, I’m definitely bookmarking that. I read this post on my ‘phone earlier today and then got home to find not only had you written about Stephane, but he’d written about you! Two of my favourite bloggers all in one place. Lx
I haven’t seen that yet! Wrangling the grand daughter today!
Hope you’ve got your chaps and spurs on. :)
I just need to be able to run faster!
I’m a huge olive fan so love adding olives to breads whether inside or on top. Love this version using Tapenade and cheese. It looks so tasty! :)
It’s very good – I think you’d approve!
Thank you!
Beautiful looking loaf and great memories of a wonderful sounding trip Mimi.
Thank you. The trip was outstanding.
Oh Mimi that looks fabulous and one I look forward to doing when the sun returns. Great that Stepahne has returned to blogging too.
I know! I’ve been bugging him for months! Good that he’s busy, though.
Thank you. Yes, the ham and other goodies work really well, in this cakes i wanted to keep the bread about olives.
Wow, how unusual, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten an olive cake although the thought inspires me. Isn’t that part of France just so beautiful? I’m trying to convince my husband to let us buy a wee cottage in the south of France, not too sure he’s keen on the idea, although he too loves the area. Rose, and a slice of olive cake, now that’s my idea of heaven :)
How could he resist? What a lovely area to have a home.
The second I saw gruyere, I knew I have to make this, I don’t care how many calories it has. Will be interesting to see how it turns out with whole wheat flour. Thanks for the vicarious pleasure of a bit of Provence with my coffee this morning!
Absolutely! Such a beautiful part of France.
Looks incredible, what a lovely recipe, thanks for sharing it :D
Absolutely!
Your delicious sounding recipes makes me hanker after salami, hard cheese and a glass of wine. I’ve bookmarked this, it will be perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon with friends.
Absolutely!
Discrete looks just fantastic. So moist, and those little bits of all of just make it so savory. I look forward to making it, and checking out Stéphane’s blog.
Thank you David!
Oh goodness this looks so delicious and how perfect for a little appetizer tray and a glass of vino! Wishing you a super weekend!
Absolutely! Thanks Bobbi!
What a coincidence, I’ve been thinking about making a ham and olive cake!
They’re so good!
That olive cake does look lovely, Mimi. Nice and moist, and I love the flavor of olives.
It’s definitely olive-ey!
This is an interesting savoury cake that looks so moist and delicious!
If you love olives, you’ll definitely love this!
Mimi, thank you for posting this lovely recipe! And it pairs well w Rosé!?! Summer’s flying by but I’m going to try my hand at it. Excited to add a little Provence to Summer!
Definitely! And honestly, it would pair beautifully with any wine!
OMG … It looks amazing and whit a glass of a red wine is even better.
Definitely!
This olive oil cake looks just the business ! I want to make it one of these days and in the meantime, I know exactly who to forward your recipe, and you can take it from me she will be delighted !
Fantastic! Thank you!
Beautiful – the words, photography and the recipe xx
Thank you!
All I want to do at this point is make some of this bread/cake and create a meat and tray platter for the patio!
Fantastic! My favorite thing to eat!
I love savory cakes and they are so versatile!
Absolutely!
Exactly!!!
This savory bread is definitely something I would like to try.
You will love it!
Delicious!
Thank you Cassee!
OMG never heard of Olives used this way! My husband will love this!
Great!
Looks delicious!
It truly was!
Olive cake! Looks so good.
Thank you!
Olive oil should truly be more popular in cake baking. Delicious and lovely texture btw 🌸🌸😊😊
I agree – in both sweet and savory baked goods!
Thank you! It’s so yummy!
looks so delicious :) can u deliver plz :)
good one!
I wish I could!
You are so welcome!
Oh, then they will love this recipe. I like the tapenade and chopped olives combination!
It look delicios, i Will try it.
It’s very good, and very moist and tender!
😊
So, what time are snacks today? This looks amazing and I’m definitely bookmarking it!
Snacks are always at the ready!!!
Isn’t it just so wonderful?! It’s a great recipe. You’ll both love it!
That sounds deliriously good! And I love the plates and boards that you’ve built around it. What a cool couple of trips those must’ve been.
Oh my goodness yes. Just magical. Of course I am partial to France…
It looks tender and delicious.
Thanks! It’s very moist!
This is absolutely lovely! I love olives in the first place, but the cake is a winner! I can’t wait to try it, and I will!!
I much prefer anything savory over sweet, but a bread with olives is a big win win for me. I love the combination of the tapenade and chopped olives.
i love olive bread! i have made it a few times; nice with walnuts too!
Oh yes! That would be a lovely addition.
This does sound like it’d make a good pairing with rosé. Neat recipe — thanks.
Yes. Yes, it would!!!
I love the idea of a savory cake with olives. Ditto the person who said a glass of rose would be the perfect pairing. I’m saving this one for alfresco dining this summer. Thank you Mimi.
Alfresco dining. Sounds lovely!!!
Yes they are! Just a savory quick bread…
I love olives and I love baking breads, so of course this one caught my attention, Mimi! It sounds delicious. Also, thanks for sharing your culinary guide. I’m bookmarking his website now – we did a similar experience around Florence a couple of years ago, and the memories will last a lifetime! Of course, now we just need to wait until we can travel again…
It was so special. Usually when we travel it’s hotels and restaurants. No complaints there. But with Stephane, it was a different market every time, being introduced to new ingredients, and he cooked for us! In between we went to vineyards and castles and fortresses and brocantes. As much as I try to cook from around the world, there are so many foods I can’t play with just because I live in Oklahoma. The internet has helped, but there’s nothing like buying a fresh octopus at the market, cooking it, and eating it. Everything I get is frozen. My daughter and I had the most wonderful sea snails there. Anyway, it’s a real hands on experience with a lovely, knowledgeable man.
Olives in bread really work. I love them in yeasted breads, too!
Yum! I love cake salé, and all things olive as well. This is a perfect recipe for me. We’re on the Cote d’Azur now, and I had an amazing green olive/almond tapenade from one of the Villefranche farmers market vendors! So good.
Oh my god I’m so envious!!! It’s probably beautiful weather there…. 🌞
This looks phenomenal, Mimi! I have to try it! And you’re making me want to travel again so badly!
Oh I know. Fingers crossed for later this year…
I’m so jealous of your travel adventures. What a lovely time away! And I’m so intrigued with this olive cake recipe. I very seldom make savory breads but this one looks incredibly delicious. I will have to try it. As always, thanks for sharing.
You are so welcome. I’m jealous of my travel adventures! Who would have thought we couldn’t have them?! Fingers crossed that we will once again, before my husband and I get too old!
What a beautiful loaf to serve on a charcuterie board. I didn’t read all the comments but am wondering of you have made this with black olives, too? Your trip with Stéphane sounds heavenly.
No I haven’t made this with black olives or Kalamata olives. I’ve made endless numbers of various tapenade with olives, but not this bread. I think it’s pretty as it, but of course can also be prettier!
This olive bread takes me so deliciously into the sunny world you describe so well. What an adventure. GREG
Ahhh, those were the days, right?! Carefree traveling… enjoying new foods. Can’t wait to do it again.
Oh yes this olive cake looks like the perfect accompaniment of a plater of cheese and meats. And wine!!
It’s great with hors d’oeuvres, or just by itself!
Mimi, I love the sound of olive cake. Your travels sound so amazing. Olive tasting! Oh how I would love to do that — in France, no less. :-) ~Valentina
Yes, what a trip that was. Weeks of Provençal bliss! And this bread is fabulous.
Traveling with Stéphane was a wonderful adventure and isn’t it nice to create a dish that reminds you of that delightful time spent in Provence. Hopefully we will able to return again someday soon.
It is truly wonderful. Such great memories and inspiration!