French Cake Salé Deliciously Toes The Line Between Bread And Cake

When you think of delicious cake, you probably think of sweet flavors, but cake can also be savory without losing any of its mouth-watering deliciousness. Enter French cake salé, a savory treat that originated in Provence, France. Although in French the term "cake" can be used for any sweet or savory loaf that's baked in a pan, this description doesn't do cake salé justice. This is because it has a muffin-like, crumbly consistency that makes it feel like the perfect blend between cake and bread. And that's because technically, it's classified as a type of bread, but this unique dish is made with unsweetened cake batter, making it fall into a grey area somewhere between the two.

When traveling through France, you're likely to find cake salé at picnics or in cafés, and sometimes it's also a popular choice as an appetizer. Whether you want to try it as a snack or enjoy it for dinner, it's one of the additional French snack foods you need to try your hand at making — especially because, unlike other bread recipes that can make you feel overwhelmed, making French cake salé is easy because you can throw in any savory ingredients you like or have on hand.

French cake salé is highly versatile. You can make it with any ingredients you have leftover from last night's dinner, such as bits of ham or bacon, or stringy cheese and onions, so it's a great way to ensure nothing goes to waste and you have a unique, savory cake every time you make it. But remember one of the best tricks when using leftover ingredients — always store them in transparent containers so you don't forget to use them the next day! 

This delicious savory cake only requires a simple, straightforward cake batter to make it. So, once you've combined your dry ingredients like flour, baking powder, and salt, with wet ingredients like eggs and milk, add your preferred savory ingredients to the mixture and it's ready to bake. Cake salé should bake for about an hour or until a toothpick that's inserted into it comes out clean. 

Although making the French cake salé is pretty easy for anyone to do, there are some tips to bear in mind so that you are guaranteed a delicious result every time. For starters, when adding the savory ingredients to your cake batter, don't make them too large — keep them about a quarter-inch in size so they won't cause large holes in the cake. Some mistakes to avoid when making bread also apply to this cake-bread hybrid — don't forget to let it cool down on a wire rack when it comes out of the oven, as this releases moisture. Read: no sogginess!  

If you want to enjoy French cake salé as a quick, tasty snack at work or when packing a picnic, try baking it in muffin tins instead of a loaf pan for an easy, poppable bite. And, when you're ready to eat this mouthwatering savory cake bread, slather on some butter or pile extra ingredients like melted cheese on top. The sky's the limit for how you wish to bake and enjoy your French cake salé, so it's sure to become your number one choice for savory homemade bread.