In French, a cake is usually a savoury type of baked good rather than what we would think of as a cake in English. Gateau means a sweet cake. This recipe for cake aux lardons is a favourite to make as a starter or snack. The olives are optional, and you can choose a cheese of your choice. In this version, I used goat cheese, but I have also made it with Emmental, Gruyere and even cheddar cheese. Best served warm, so you can reheat it in the oven or an air fryer for the next day or two.
Ingredients
250 g plain flour + 1 Tbsp for olives
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of pepper
4 eggs
150 ml vegetable oil
125 ml dry white wine
200g green olives, pitted and sliced in half
200g lardons (or cut up pieces of bacon)
150g goat cheese, cut into small pieces
Instructions
First, in a small frying pan, cook the lardons until they are crispy. Set aside.
Next, in a large mixing bowl mix 250g flour, baking powder, pepper, eggs, oil and wine until the mixture is uniform.
Then, in a small bowl, mix the olives with a tablespoon of flour until well-coated. Then add the olives to the main mixture. Also add in the cooked lardons, cut up goat’s cheese (reserve 4-5 pieces for the top), and baking powder. Add the pinch of pepper. Fold all ingredients into the mixture.
Pour the mixture into a silicon loaf pan or use a metal pan lined with baking paper on the bottom to prevent sticking. Finally, top with a few goat’s cheese pieces arranged on top.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool slightly then serve in slices
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