Prune, Goat Cheese, and Pistachio Cake

Bonjour! Feeling very French lately with the spring weather rolling in. There is just something about spring that makes me want to eat all my meals outside, picnic style. So, I've been looking for some delicious French picnic foods to celebrate the season. This is actually a savory cake from Rachel Koo's My Little Paris Kitchen, but don't let that weird you out. It's a delicious quick bread that has a beautiful cheesy aroma, with pops of nuttiness and sweetness throughout. The pistachios and prunes also give it an amazing color. If you're not a fan of goat cheese, any soft, aromatic cheese will do the trick.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3 oz soft goats cheese
3/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
2/3 cup prunes, also roughly chopped
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp salt
pepper

Bake time: 30-40 min
Total Time: 1 hour

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cake tin with parchment paper (I used 2 1/2 by 4, but you can use twice that size).

2) In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, goat cheese, prunes, and pistachios.

3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs till thick and pale. You can use a stand or hand mixer, then slowly add in the milk, yogurt, olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

4) Gradually fold in the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Fold lightly, cause over beating can make a tough cake.

5) Pour batter into pan and bake 30-40 minutes, till golden. You want the batter to come up to as close to the pan as you, it'll puff up a lot so give it lots of space in the oven.

Yum, so good! Now finally a good excuse to have cake for dinner. Thick slices of these are great with sauteed veggies or a light salad. I ate mine through the week for lunch or as a quick snack. Au revoir!