Bacon and Olive Aperitif Cake

A savoury cake is a bit of a peculiar concept (think English tea breads, only not sweet, containing olives and cheese instead of lemon and dates, and served with a glass of wine instead of a cup of tea). They are very tasty and versatile. They also boast the charm of allowing you to make one thing, in one pan, and slice it up, instead of making a zillion cocktail-y bits and bites. I love that. This cake has olives, bacon, Gruyère cheese, and rosemary, but perhaps you don’t, in which case experiment with other ingredients. Here are a few ideas, in case you draw a blank:

Bacon, prunes and almonds;
Mixed fresh herbs and pinches of chèvre;
Roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary and feta;
Ham and sautéed onions;
Chopped spinach, pine nuts, and feta or chèvre.

Makes: 1 loaf cake
 

1 1/4 cups (155 g) flour
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) baking powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup (175mL) olive, grapeseed, or other cooking oil
Salt and Pepper
2/3 cup (110g) olives, pitted and sliced
4 slices bacon, cut into lardons and fried until cooked but not crisp
4 oz (110g) Gruyere cheese, grated
1 tbsp (15mL) chopped fresh rosemary (optional)

Sift the flour and baking powder in a large bowl, and make a well in the center. Whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, salt and pepper (go easy on salt if you have a lot of salty ingredients going in, such as cheese and olives), and pour into the well in the flour. Mix until smooth. Stir in the olives, bacon, cheese and rosemary so they’re evenly distributed through the batter. Pour into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Unmould, and cool a bit more. Slice to serve warm or at room temperature with drinks.