Feta, Roasted Red Pepper and Smoked Cheese Savory "Cake"

This is stupendous–really and truly.

The French like to make savory cakes (cake salé) and serve them as nibbles with drinks. They are moist and savory with eggs and cheese and a wide assortment of add-ins like vegetables, meats, nuts, and even dried fruit.

I have made my own version twice, and was quite pleased. My first version just had smoked cheddar cheese and scallions. Batch number two had roasted red pepper (jarred version worked perfectly), feta, smoked mozzarella, and scallions.

This tastes delicious hot from the oven, oozing melted cheese, but it is quite good room temperature or even cold. It takes mere seconds to put together from odds and ends in the fridge, and it reheats perfectly.

Many recipes online show the cake batter being baked in a loaf pan, but I used a round cake pan. It doesn’t seem to matter much in terms of taste, but it may be easier to get more pieces if you use a loaf pan.

For my first batch, I used buttermilk in place of the milk, and the resulting savory cake reminded me of the popular and all-American zucchini squares recipe that uses Bisquick (or here ). If you have ever wanted to make that recipe without Bisquick, this recipe is for you. You could just add in the sliced zucchini, onions, and cheeses that recipe calls for to the basic batter here.

Now, as for the recipe: there are lots of recipes out there, but they all seem to be more or less the same thing. Chez Loulou has a nice all-purpose base recipe. (she also has an eggier version, too). My recipe is slightly different, with a bit less flour.

Feta Roasted Red Pepper and Smoked Cheese Savory Cake (or Cheddar Scallion Savory Cake)

Combine:
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon table salt)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk (yogurt would probably be great, too)
1/4 cup olive oil

Add your add-ins:
roasted red pepper (or or two–from a jar is fine as long as there is no vinegar in the ingredients)
8 ounce container of feta, crumbled
4 ounces of smoked mozzarella or cheddar
1-2 scallions, sliced thin

Note: can just add the cheddar and scallions for a very simple version

In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients and then add them to the wet ingredients:
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder

Pour batter into a greased pan and bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes, if using a round pan, maybe up to 40 minutes if using a loaf pan. Can also bake at a lower 350 temperature. Cake should be browned and set.

For variations, just substitute other vegetables, herbs, cheeses, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or whatever.

Here are some other links for savory cakes:

Citron & Vanille

Dorie Greenspan and here

Chocolate & Zucchini

What’s for Lunch Honey?

In Search of Dessert

Recipezaar (French Tart’s two recipes) here and here

Hungry Bruno

David Lebovitz

Cauliflower Cake (Chou-Fleur de Bretagne) from Croque-Camille (also zucchini version)

ClosetCooking’s zucchini bread with roasted red pepper and feta

and this vegan version of savory zucchini bread intrigues me . . .

and this whole grain version from What Geeks Eat

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Tags: appetizers, cake salé, Dorie Greenspan, French Savory Cake, Sofie Dudemaine, Zucchini squares