The Picnic Flex: Charred Zucchini & Olive Cake Salé
A proper French cake salé—a savory loaf cake—is the ultimate summer picnic flex. Growing up in Paris, these loaves were our weekend workhorses. We’d wrap them in parchment and haul them to the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. They travel without a fuss, slice like a dream, and demand zero refrigeration. Because honestly, we're not suffering for lunch.
What makes this version special is the zucchini treatment. Zucchini is basically a green water balloon. Dump it into your batter raw, and your crumb turns dense and tight like a bad alibi. The fix? We sear the cubes hard and fast in a screaming hot skillet until they blister. This drives off moisture and concentrates the sweet flavor, ensuring the final crumb stays lacy and tender.
Fold those charred bits into an olive oil and yogurt-enriched batter with briny Niçoise olives and sharp Gruyère.
Cami’s shortcut note: Bake this the night before. It actually tastes better on day two once the flavors settle. Let time do the work.
Don't skip this: The hard sear. Look for deep brown, blistered edges on the squash before it leaves the pan.
Make it yours: Swap the olives for oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes or trade the Gruyère for crumbled feta. Just keep the ratios the same.
Featured Recipe
Charred Zucchini & Olive Cake Salé
A proper French cake salé—savory loaf cake—is the ultimate summer picnic flex. It travels without a fuss, slices like a dream, and demands zero refrigeration. We sear cubed zucchini hard and fast to lock out moisture, ensuring a lacy, tender crumb that won't turn tight like a bad alibi. Paired with briny olives and sharp Gruyère, this is how you win lunch.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil(Divided (1 tbsp for searing, 7 tbsp for batter))
- 2 medium zucchini(About 300g total, cut into ½-inch cubes)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour(Spoon and leveled (190g))
- 2 tsp baking powder(Check your expiration date)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large eggs(Room temperature)
- ½ cup whole milk(Room temperature)
- 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese(Or a sharp white cheddar (100g))
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives(Roughly chopped)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
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? Grease the pan well and dust lightly with flour.
- 2
Heat 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cubed 2 medium zucchini in a single layer. Sear without moving for 3 minutes to get color, then toss and cook for 4 more minutes until blistered and tender. Remove from heat.
8 min
Tip: High heat is non-negotiable. You want charred edges, not watery mush.
- 3
In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper.
2 min
Tip: Whisking dry ingredients thoroughly prevents clumping and uneven rise.
- 4
In a separate medium bowl, whisk the 3 large eggs until frothy. Stream in the ½ cup whole milk and the remaining 7 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, whisking until completely emulsified.
2 min
Tip: Room temperature eggs and milk emulsify faster with the oil.
- 5
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula just until the flour is mostly moistened. Do not overmix.
1 min
Tip: A few flour streaks are fine. Overmixing activates gluten and ruins the crumb.
- 6
Fold the warm seared zucchini, 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese, ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, and 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves into the batter until just distributed.
2 min
Tip: Cami’s shortcut note: The zucchini can still be warm when you fold it in. It slightly activates the baking powder early for a better rise.
- 7
Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is deeply golden.
55 min
Tip: Look for a proud, cracked crown—a signature of a good cake salé.
- 8
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to lift it out, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
15 min
Tip: Cutting it while piping hot will compress the crumb. Let time do the work.
Chef's Notes
Butter is not a garnish, except here—where we intentionally swap it for olive oil. Why? Butter solidifies at room temperature, making a cold cake eat heavy. Oil stays liquid, keeping this plush even after a two-hour car ride to the park. Don't skip the hard sear on the zucchini. If you dump raw squash into this batter, it releases water as it bakes and you'll end up with a wet brick. We're not suffering for lunch.
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.