Olive cake

Name: Olive cake
Yield: Makes 40 squares
Cuisine: French recipes
Ingredients: 235g plain flour; 1 tbsp baking powder; 8 medium free-range eggs; 130ml whole milk; 50ml double cream; 45ml olive oil; 300g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), finely grated; 180g sun-blush tomatoes, roughly chopped; 150g pitted black olives (taggiasca if you can find them – see Know-how); Bunch fresh basil leaves, roughly torn; Pinch piment d’espelette (see Know-how); You’ll also need:; 20cm x 30cm swiss roll tin or straight-sided deep roasting tray, greased and lined with non-stick baking paper

By: Chef Lionel Levy of Alcyone restaurant in Marseille

Published: 31 Oct 18
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

Whip up this easy-to-make, savoury olive cake from chef Lionel Levy of Alycone restaurant in Marseille. Serve with glasses of chilled rosé and conjure up the flavours and aromas of Provence.

Makes 40 squares
Hands-on time 10 min, oven time 25-30 min

Visit deliciousmagazine.co.uk to save recipe

Ingredients

235g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
8 medium free-range eggs
130ml whole milk
50ml double cream
45ml olive oil
300g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), finely grated
180g sun-blush tomatoes, roughly chopped
150g pitted black olives (taggiasca if you can find them – see Know-how)
Bunch fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
Pinch piment d’espelette (see Know-how)

You’ll also need:

20cm x 30cm swiss roll tin or straight-sided deep roasting tray, greased and lined with non-stick baking paper

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Combine the flour and baking powder with a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl. In a large jug, beat together the eggs, milk, cream and olive oil. Pour the egg mixture over the flour and stir until combined. Stir in the parmesan, tomatoes, olives and basil with a pinch of piment d’espelette.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, then bake for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cutting board. Cut into 40 squares and serve warm as a snack, with a chilled glass of Provençal rosé.

Recipe from November 2018 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 98 kcal
Fat: 6g
Protein: 5.1g
Carbohydrates: 5.7g
Fibre: 0.5g
Salt: o.4

delicious. tips

The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Warm through in a medium oven to serve.
Taggiasca olives are small, fruity olives from the Mediterranean (in southern France they’re known as cailletier) that are used as eating olives and pressed for olive oil.

Piment d’espelette (or espelette pepper) is a finely ground French chilli powder often used in Basque cooking. It’s available from souschef.co.uk but if you can’t find it use a little hot unsmoked paprika.

Fancy getting a copy in print?

Subscribe to our magazine

Olive cake

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

delicious. tips

Tomato and basil pesto focaccia

Easy focaccia

Olive and thyme focaccia

Garlic focaccia

More to discover

Olive cake

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

delicious. tips

Or, how about...?

Tomato and basil pesto focaccia

Easy focaccia

Olive and thyme focaccia

Garlic focaccia

More to discover