Olive cake and tapenade

I found this simple (and tasty) recipe in a Mediterranean cookbook. I only changed the relative amounts of milk and oil, and added chili powder. It is ideal as appetizer, and even better if served with tapenade (olive paste) for spreading!

Olive cake
2 cups pitted olives (blacks, greens or a mixture. I always use 1 cup of each and I cut them lengthwise)
2 cups + 2 tbsp. self-rising flour
4 eggs
1 tbsp. sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
salt, pepper and chili powder (about 3/4-1 tsp. of each one)

Preheat oven at 375F. Grease and flour-dust a loaf pan (or rounded cake pan).
Put olives in a small bowl and toss in the 2 tbsp. flour.
Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Stir in sugar, salt, pepper and chili powder.
Stir in milk and olive oil. Mix well.
Sift flour into the mix while stirring with a wooden spoon.
Stir in olives and mix well.
Spoon the mixture into the pan and baked for about 30 min.
Lower the temperature to 325F and bake for about 15 min, until cake is golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for 10-15min and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tapenade
2 cups black or kalamata olives, pitted and rinsed
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp. walnuts
4-5 canned anchovy fillets, drained
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice
pepper, to taste

Put olives, garlic, anchovies and walnut in a food processor and process until blended.
Add olive oil and lemon juice and process again.
Transfer to a bowl, add pepper to taste (and if you like, more lemon juice).
Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate until required.

Enjoy!