Melted Leek & Comté Savory Breakfast Cake
Growing up in Paris, the cake salé (savory cake) was the unspoken hero of a busy café morning. Thick, savory, and aggressively crusty. My neighborhood spot always had one resting on the counter, sliced thick and toasted on a hot griddle until the air smelled intensely of sharp cheese and cultured butter.This Melted Leek & Comté Savory Breakfast Cake is my homage to those mornings, engineered for real schedules. We take a classic one-bowl olive oil batter, load it with jammy, slow-melted leeks, and fold in aged Comté. The trick? We bake it in a shallow square pan instead of a loaf tin. Why it works: A deep loaf pan traps moisture, leaving the center tight like a bad alibi. A slab format gives you maximum crust-to-crumb ratio and lacy, golden edges every single time.Cami's shortcut note: Sweat the leeks in butter until they wobble and collapse. Butter is not a garnish. Let time do the work, then cool slightly before mixing.Don't skip this: Toast your slices in a dry skillet before eating. Swap Comté for Gruyère or fold in toasted walnuts to make it yours. We are not suffering for breakfast.
Featured Recipe
Melted Leek & Comté Savory Breakfast Cake
In Paris, a 'cake salé' (savory cake) is the unspoken hero of a busy café morning. We’re taking that classic olive oil batter, loading it with jammy, slow-melted leeks and sharp Comté, and baking it in a shallow square pan for maximum crust. Slice it thick, toast it in a dry skillet, and remember that we are not suffering for breakfast.
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Ingredients
- 2 large leeks(white and light green parts only, halved and sliced into thin half-moons)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter(cultured if you have it)
- 1.5 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 4 large eggs(room temperature)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk(room temperature)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1.5 cups (150g) Comté cheese(coarsely grated)
- 1 tsp kosher salt(divided)
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup (35g) hazelnuts(roughly chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment, letting two sides hang over to form a sling. Butter is not a garnish, so grease the unlined sides too.
5 min
Tip: A shallow square pan gives us a higher crust-to-crumb ratio than a traditional loaf pan.
- 2
Melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced 2 large leeks and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Cook slow and low until they collapse into a sweet, jammy tangle. Let time do the work here—it takes about 15 minutes. Pull them off the heat and let them cool slightly.
15 min
Tip: Don't rush the leeks. You want them practically melting, not browned and crispy.
- 3
While the leeks melt down, grab a large bowl. Whisk together the 1.5 cups (190g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, the remaining 3/4 tsp kosher salt, and 1 tsp cracked black pepper.
3 min
Tip: Aerating the dry ingredients prevents clumps later, which means less mixing required.
- 4
In a medium pitcher or bowl, aggressively whisk the 4 large eggs, 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk, and 1 tbsp Dijon mustard. You want it completely emulsified and slightly pale.
3 min
Tip: Room temperature eggs and milk will emulsify perfectly with the olive oil.
- 5
Pour the wet emulsion into the dry bowl. Use a flexible spatula to fold them together just until the dry spots disappear. Stop immediately. A tight crumb is like a bad alibi—it ruins everything.
2 min
Tip: Lumps are perfectly fine. Overmixing activates gluten and makes the cake rubbery.
- 6
Gently fold in the cooled leeks and the grated 1.5 cups (150g) Comté cheese. We want pockets of melted cheese and sweet allium in every single bite.
2 min
- 7
Scrape the batter into your lined pan, pushing it evenly into the corners. Scatter the chopped 1/4 cup (35g) hazelnuts across the top. Bake for 30 minutes. Look for a domed, deeply golden crust that bounces back slightly when tapped.
30 min
Tip: The hazelnuts toast as the cake bakes, providing an essential crunch against the tender interior.
- 8
Cami’s shortcut note: Do not slice this molten. Let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes to set the crumb, then use the parchment sling to lift it out to a wire rack.
10 min
Tip: Slicing too soon lets trapped steam escape, drying out your crumb.
Chef's Notes
Cake salé is brilliant straight from the oven, but arguably better on day two. Keep it wrapped tightly in the fridge. In the morning, cut a thick slice and toast it in a dry cast-iron skillet until the Comté at the edges gets crispy and frico-like. Pair it with a strong espresso and you're golden.
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.