Cake #9 - Chorizo and Olive Loaf

Baking my second Saturday Savoury Cake became a more demanding task than originally planned. Not because The Husband had decided to cook something Spanish for dinner and I thought I would make my savoury cake to go with it, but because I browsed various savoury cake recipes and then started thinking what actually is the difference between a cake and a bread. This is a Cake Challenge and I don't want to bake something regarded as bread! 

If you think about savoury cakes, a Scandinavian style 'Smörgåstårta' - sandwich cake -  is definitely a cake and so would be a savoury cheesecake (although Wikipedia disagrees with me by saying that cheesecake is not a cake but a pie...) - like the Salmon Cheesecake I made for The Husband's birthday. But how about savoury loaves like this Chorizo and Olive Loaf I ended up with? It is a cake, isn't it! It is.

Of course I will not post a picture of a Finnish-style rye "Limppu" bread as a cake - unless I make a sandwich cake of it; neither will I ever insist that an apple pie is a cake. A single pancake is definitely not a cake, either, but if I make a pile of them, spread jam in-between and whipped cream and sprinkles on top, in my opinion, it is a cake then. 

Please comment if you disagree with me on any of my cakes that they are not cakes and especially tell me why you think so. Your arguments will be read carefully but no corrective actions will be made regarding the cakes already eaten as cakes. For future cakes I will definitely listen to your opinions if they are relevant.

Chorizo and Olive Loaf

100 g chorizo, chopped (if uncooked, cook it first)
100 g olives - green or black or both, chopped in halves
300 ml plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
250 g quark
100 ml milk or water
30 ml good olive oil or rapeseed oil
4 eggs



1. Preheat oven to 175C / 350F and grease and flour (I use dried breadcrumbs) a 3 lbs (100 mm x 30 mm) loaf pan.
3. Mix all dry ingredients together.
4. In another bowl, mix quark, milk/water, eggs and oil.
5. Together with the chopped chorizo and olive, fold the dry ingredients into the quark mix gently.
6. Pour the dough into the pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a wooden stick comes out of the cake clean.
7. Let cool a little before removing from pan. The texture of the cake is gooey and soft so it is easy to cut it into slices even when slightly warm. Enjoy as a snack or with salad. Use sundried tomatoes or artichoke hearts instead of chorizo for a vegetarian option.