Herb & Feta Cake Salé

Savoury ”cakes” (aka cake salé) seem to be a French phenomenon. This recipe is adapted from the wonderful French blog Chocolate & Zucchini (it's written in English too). Rachel Khoo’s cookbook The Little Paris Kitchen features also one cake salé (oh, did you know that she is soon hosting a new cooking programme, The little Swedish Kitchen? I follow her on Instagram and she shared it recently on her Stories. I'm thrilled!!).

I’m planning to make these savoury cakes into a Finnish phenomenon as well: they have the lovely crumbly structure of cake but then the savoury taste makes them very interesting. This cake is a great option for picnics, as the cake holds its form and can be eaten without utensils and as is. (No need for spreads or cheese since the feta is baked in. So easy on a picnic!) And who wouldn't want to eat cake for lunch or supper? And then afterwards you can have some more cake for dessert. So yay for savoury cakes!!!

Happy baking and awesome pique-niques!!!

PS. This post is my 300th post! I can't believe that. Even though at times I haven't had time to blog at all, still I've managed to post this many times in just under seven years. And yes, it's soon the seventh anniversary of this blog, wow! I can't believe that I've had the stamina to stick to this for so long. And though it sometimes feels like no one is reading this, a single comment every now and then really gives me a spark to continue doing this. So thank you for being my reader *heart*

Herb & Feta Cake Salé
Author: Tuulia / Kitchenfoxtales     Preparation Time: 10 min     Cooking time: 45 min
Servings: 12 slices     Calories per serving*: 73 kcal

Makes one 20 cm x 8 cm loaf.

Ingredients:

• 75 g all-purpose flour
• 1,5 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 30 ml olive oil
• 75 g plain unsweetened yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• (1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, optional)
• 70 g feta cheese
• 1 bunch fresh herb leaves (flat-leaf parsley, basil, chervil, chives, preferably a mix), about 20 grams or 1 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped
To prepare the pan and to sprinkle:
• butter and sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Butter a small rectangular cake pan (20 cm x 8 cm) and sprinkle sesame seeds on the bottom and sides of the pan.
2. Preheat the oven to 175 C.
3. Combine flour with baking powder.
4. Whisk eggs slightly (to break their structure) and whisk in olive oil, yogurt, salt, (pepper if using), crumbled or finely cubed feta and chopped herbs.
5. Fold in flour (don't overmix).
6. Pour the batter to the prepared pan, sprinkle with more sesame seeds and bake in 175 C for 40-50 minutes.
7. Let the cake cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan and then unmold. Leave to cool until slightly warm or room-temperature, slice the cake and serve.
8. Best eaten the same day (like all baking powder raised breads), but is ok the next day too (the feta helps to keep the loaf tender).

Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini.
*Nutritional information is based on average values and is a rough estimate.

Yrtti-fetakakku
Tekijä: Tuulia / Kitchenfoxtales     Valmisteluaika: 10 min     Kypsennysaika: 45 min
Annokset: 12 viipaletta    Energiasisältö per annos*: 73 kcal

Reseptistä tulee yksi n. 20 x 8 kokoinen vuokaleipä.

Ainekset:

• 75 g vehnäjauhoa
• 1,5 tl leivinjauhetta
• 2 munaa
• 30 ml oliiviöljyä
• 75 g maustamatonta jogurttia
• 1/4 tl hienoa merisuolaa
• (1/4 tl pippuria halutessasi)
• 70 g fetaa
• noin 20 g tai 2,5 dl (löyhästi mitattuna) tuoreita yrttejä silputtuna (esim. sekoitus lehtipersiljaa, basilikaa, kirveliä ja/tai ruohosipulia
Vuokaan ja päälle:
• voita ja seesaminsiemeniä

Valmistusohjeet:

1. Voitele pieni suorakaiteen muotoinen kakku/leipävuoka (kooltaan n. 20 x 8 cm). Ripottele pohjalle ja reunoille seesaminsiemeniä.
2. Esilämmitä uuni 175 asteeseen.
3. Sekoita jauhot ja leivinjauhe.
4. Riko munien rakenne ja vatkaa niiden joukkoon öljy, jogurtti, suola, (pippuri), murusteltu tai pieneksi pilkottu feta ja silputut yrtit.
5. Kääntele sekaan jauhot (älä sekoita liikaa).
6. Kaada taikina vuokaan, ripottele päälle lisää seesaminsiemeniä ja paista uunissa noin 40-50 min.
7. Testaa kakun kypsyys hammastikulla. Anna kakun jäähtyä 5-10 minuuttia vuoassa ja kumoa se sitten. Anna jäähtyä huoneenlämmössä. Viipaloi ja tarjoile kakku lämpimänä tai huoneenlämpöisenä.
8. Kakku on parasta leipomispäivänä (kuten kaikki leivinjauheella kohotetut leivät), mutta maistuu hyvältä vielä seuraavanakin päivänä (feta auttaa kakkua pysymään mehevänä).

Lähde: Chocolate and Zucchini
*Energiasisältö perustuu keskimääräisiin arvoihin ja on karkea arvio.

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