Browned Butter, Zucchini & Comté Cake Salé
Growing up in Paris, the cake salé (savory loaf cake) was the ultimate park picnic staple. But too often, they are dense, gummy bricks. I wanted a café-level version for my Bay Area kitchen—high impact, zero fuss.\n\nThe inspiration hit during a frantic fridge-clearing session. I had summer squash, a block of sharp Comté, and a hunger for something I could bake once and eat all week. We're not suffering for brunch, and we shouldn't for lunch, either.\n\nThe secret here is twofold. First, the browned butter (beurre noisette). It gives a deep, toasted-nut aroma that echoes the walnuts. Butter is not a garnish; it is the foundation. Second: squeeze the absolute life out of the grated zucchini. Moisture is the enemy of a good bake here. Wring it out in a towel until your hands ache. This ensures a crumb that is lacy, not tight like a bad alibi.\n\nCami’s shortcut note: Bake this as a slab in a 9x13 pan to maximize the crust-to-crumb ratio and slash the bake time.\n\nDon't skip this: Toast your walnuts. Raw nuts taste like dust.\n\nMake it your own: Swap Comté for Gruyère or add fresh thyme. Just bake until the top is deeply golden.
Featured Recipe
Browned Butter, Zucchini & Comté Cake Salé
The French call it a cake salé; I call it your make-ahead lunch savior. We pair the deep, nutty aroma of browned butter with sharp Comté and toasted walnuts. Squeezing the absolute life out of the grated zucchini ensures a crumb that is lacy, not tight like a bad alibi.
Save a copy to your collection for editing
Timeline
Ingredients
- 113 g unsalted butter(1/2 cup, cut into tablespoons for even melting)
- 2 whole medium zucchini(About 350g total)
- 200 g all-purpose flour(1 2/3 cups)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper(Don't skimp here; the spice cuts the richness)
- 3 whole large eggs(Room temperature)
- 120 g whole milk plain yogurt(1/2 cup, room temperature)
- 150 g Comté cheese(1 1/2 cups, coarsely grated. Gruyère works too.)
- 60 g walnuts(1/2 cup, toasted and roughly chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy extraction.
5 min
Tip: No parchment? Butter the pan generously and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
- 2
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 113g unsalted butter. Swirl the pan continuously until the butter foams, then subsides and smells intensely of toasted hazelnuts, about 5-8 minutes. Immediately pour it into a small bowl to cool slightly.
8 min
Tip: Butter is not a garnish, it's the foundation. Watch it closely; it goes from golden to burnt in the time it takes to answer a text.
- 3
Grate the 2 medium zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Pile the shreds into the center of a clean kitchen towel. Roll it up, twist the ends, and squeeze out as much liquid as you possibly can.
5 min
Tip: Put your back into it. You want a dry, tangled clump of zucchini. Excess water is the enemy of a good bake.
- 4
In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the 200g all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp fine sea salt, and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper.
3 min
Tip: Whisking dry ingredients thoroughly means no surprise pockets of baking powder later.
- 5
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the 3 large eggs and 120g whole milk plain yogurt until smooth and pale. While whisking constantly, slowly stream in the slightly cooled browned butter (scrape in all the toasted brown bits from the bottom!).
4 min
Tip: If your eggs and yogurt are cold, they might seize the butter. Room temperature is key.
- 6
Pour the dry ingredients over the wet. Fold gently with a spatula just until a shaggy batter forms. Before the flour disappears entirely, fold in the wrung-out zucchini, 150g Comté cheese, and 60g walnuts until evenly distributed.
4 min
Tip: Stop mixing the second it comes together. Overmixing leads to a tough, heavy loaf.
- 7
Scrape the batter into your prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. You're looking for a deeply golden crust and a cake tester inserted into the center that comes out clean.
50 min
Tip: Look for the crust to start pulling away from the sides of the pan.
- 8
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to lift it onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing.
10 min
Tip: Let time do the work. Slicing too early lets the steam escape, drying out the crumb.
Chef's Notes
Cami's shortcut note: Wringing out the zucchini is your one non-negotiable step. If you skip it, the water will steam the interior and wreck the structure. We are not suffering for a Tuesday desk lunch; bake this Sunday, keep it wrapped in the fridge, and toast thick slices in a dry skillet all week. The browned butter and Comté flavors actually deepen on day two.
Camille Roux
Café-level bakes, weeknight methods, zero compromise.
Camille “Cami” Roux was born in Paris with flour in her hair and a healthy skepticism of culinary dogma. She grew up around neighborhood boulangeries that treated crust and crumb like religion—but what stuck with her wasn’t rigid tradition. It was the quiet precision: good butter that actually tastes like milk, patient fermentation that builds flavor for free, and desserts that know when to stop before they get cloying. After moving to the Bay Area, Cami trained in a bread-and-pastry scene obsessed with texture, naturally leavened doughs, and seasonal fruit—Tartine energy, minus the martyrdom. She became known for loaves that sing when they cool, jammy tarts with clean edges, and “how is this so good?” weeknight pastries made with a few smart shortcuts. Her motto is high impact, low fuss: splurge where it counts (butter, salt, time), streamline the rest (sheet pans, one bowl, cold-proofing). If it doesn’t improve flavor or structure, it doesn’t earn a step.