Cake Aux Olives Vertes – Green Olive Cake Recipe
Appetizer · Provencal Recipes · TasteIt is time for the olive harvest in Provence, where most of the fruit is turned into healthy oil. However, some are left whole for snacking with a glass of local rosé. Here is a savoury recipe for quick bread made with olives.

Cake Aux Olives Vertes - Green Olive Cake
This is an easy, quick bread that blends savoury ingredients. It can be served as an appetizer or a light lunch with a green salad. The ingredients can be changed to suit the season and your tastes.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder In France, use 1 package of Levure chimique
- 3/4 cup green olives pitted
- 3/4 cup smoked duck breast sliced
- 3/4 cup Gruyère cheese shredded
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup Muscat or sherry
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Butter and lightly flour a loaf pan.
- In a bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
- Add the eggs and mix until well blended and no flour remains.
- Add the Muscat and olive oil and mix well.
- Add the olives, smoked duck, and cheese, and mix until well blended. The batter will be relatively thick.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes, until brown on top and a tester knife comes out clean.
- Remove the bread from the pan and cool on a rack or one side of the loaf.

Notes
This recipe can easily be tailored to suit your personal tastes. Change the cheese, meat, and olives to your favourites, like smoked salmon, pecorino, blue cheese, black olives, stuffed olives, etc.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Savoury Appetizer Recipes
Tarte Soleil - Puff Pastry Appetizer
From the chef, "Provençals like things sunny and pretty, so this is a popular take on the local, traditional fougasse. It can be filled with any strong-flavoured spreadable mixture such as tapenade or anchoiade or a sundried-tomato paste or even a spinach/ricotta or goat cheese."
Check out this recipe
Fried Panisse – Panisses Frites
Panisse is best eaten very hot with a bit of salt and pepper, accompanied by a green salad, as an accompaniment to a dish or as an appetizer, or as a snack instead of socca. Panisse can also be rolled in powdered sugar at the end of cooking for a delicious dessert.
Check out this recipe
Jacques' Zucchini Tart
This tart is easy to make all you need is a few ingredients for the perfect pairing with a glass of chilled rosé. Easy and very tasty, serve as an appetizer or as a light main with a salad.
Check out this recipe
Legal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication InformationAffiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Previous Post
La Fougasserie, NiceNext Post
Two Very Different Faces of MarseilleRelated Provence Articles
Discover Provence’s Beautiful Olive Groves: Your Ultimate Guide to the Alpilles
October 17, 2025
If you like olives, wine, and beautiful vistas, a driving, cycling, or walking tour around the Alpilles villages is a “must-do” while in Provence. We begin this olive-focused driving tour of the Alpilles in Eyguières on the far eastern side of the range. Follow this driving tour clockwise to Aureille, Mouriès, Maussane, and the entire …
How to Brine your own Olives, Alpilles Style
March 7, 2018
The Olive Culture of Les Alpilles One of the ladies on our street gave Robin this as a gift when he came to the rescue and changed her gas bottle. She even put the olive branch on. It was so delicious I could have drunk the stuff, I practically did… I was in the village …
Fire Destroys an Olive Grove in Provence
July 13, 2021
As in many parts of the world, hot summer months in Provence bring an increased risk of forest fires. Fire in the Olives If we ever needed a reminder that all it takes is a spark, our friends at Les Pastras lost 180 olive trees to a grass fire on July 8th. Dry conditions, a …
My Provençal Salad the Tastes of Eating Local in Provence
April 12, 2018
This salad plate is a cross between carpaccio and salad. Prepare the tapenade and pesto in advance. Shop for the fresh melon, lettuce leaves and tomatoes at the market in the morning and then plate the ingredients in time for lunch.…
2 Comments
are we supposed to use 2 teaspoons of each (baking soda, and baking powder)?
Hello, and thank you for pointing out the typo. The recipe for the savoury Green Olive Cake has been updated, and we hope that you enjoy it.