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Brittany/Breton is one of the 27 regions of France. It occupies a large peninsula in the northwest of the country, lying between the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the south. Its capital is Rennes. Brittany has been somewhat culturally and geographically distinct from the rest of the country. The name Brittany is derived from settlers from Great Britain, who fled that island in the wake of the Anglo-Saxon conquest of England, between the 5th and 7th centuries. Unlike the rest of France and Brittany, Lower Brittany has maintained a distinctly Celtic language, Breton, which is related to Cornish and Welsh.
Gâteau Breton, made with just a few ingredients (originally made with buckwheat), has a wonderfully dense, yet soft texture. It has Oomph! It is a very delicious and decadent cake. Did I say, ‘very’?
Brittany is also know for its Kouign-Aman (a round crusty cake, made with bread dough, containing layers of butter and sugar folded in, similar in fashion to puff pastry albeit with fewer layers.) and Far Breton (its base is similar in composition to a clafoutis batter: a flan-style eggs-and-milk custard with flour added. Prunes or raisins are common additions).
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Gateau Breton
Recipe by: Fae’s Twist & Tango (fae-magazine.com)
INGREDIENTS
• 320 g/ 2½ cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 egg yolks, soft at room temperature
• 200 g/ 1 cup granulated sugar
• 226 g/ 8 oz/ 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces – if salted butter is used, skip the salt
• I have baked this cake a few times and added varieties of essences/spices (i.e. pure vanilla extract, cardamom, citrus zests), but I have come to the conclusion that this cake is best as is, to appreciate its butter flavor/ fragrance.
For egg wash / glaze (remove chalazae & vitelline membrane from the egg yolk)
• 1 egg yolk beaten well with • ¼ tsp yogurt • ½ tsp water, strained through fine sieve
DIRECTIONS
◊ In a large bowl or a plate, whisk and sift flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
◊ Butter or non-stick-spray a 25 cm/ 10″ spring form, tart pan (removable bottom tart pan) if it is not a non-stick kind.
◊ Start beating the egg yolks on medium speed for a few seconds. Add sugar, a little at a time until thick and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (4 minutes).
◊ Add the soft butter, small pieces at a time, beating until fine cream (3 minutes).
◊ On low speed, add flour mixture little at a time, beating until combined. Dough will get thicker and thicker, and if the beater is not able to handle, turn off and finish the work by using silicone spatula. Elbow grease needed.
◊ Transfer batter to to prepared pan. With the back of a spoon, spread batter evenly. Using your hand, pat the dough down as flat/evenly/smoothly as possible. Refrigerate for 30 ~ 60 minutes.
◊ When ready to bake, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 175°C / 350°F.
◊ Remove pan from refrigerator. First brush top with egg-wash. Mark a crosshatch pattern, lattice design or design of choice on top with the tines of a fork or a thick back of a knife. Thick and somewhat deep lines turn out better. See samples → here (some cakes have fillings!). I used the back of a knife and it does not show well in the photos.
Bake for 25 ~ 30 minutes, until deep golden brown. (Start checking at 25 minute point to make sure the top doesn’t get too dark.)
◊ Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool down in the pan. Remove cake from pan while still somewhat warm. To have clean cuts/slices, cut the cake into 12 or 16 wedges while warm.
~ Bon Appétit! ~
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So, what’s cooking in your kitchen?
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i’m totally making this some day
What beautiful work Fae!
i am fond of dessert… thsnks for this one….
This is so beautiful Fae…I love how simple the ingredient list is. Love this, thanks for sharing!
Love this recipe-looking forward to trying it! Thanks for the likes.
Ooo. I’d love to try the original version made with buckwheat.
What a souvenir Fae! I was in Brittany last year for a wedding, I still remember the smell of the butter of all the amazing treats that I had there. This cake was among them of course. The cake you made look perfect, as usual!
You are very kind. How lovely to be at a wedding. I can relate to the buttery fragrance comment. 😛
This is such a beautiful looking cake – belongs in a posh bakery window – or better yet – on my dining room table! Lovely job Fae.
Thank you so much. If you were close by, I would deliver one for your dining room table myself.
Delicious!!
I am going to make this as soon as I lose four pounds! How long do you suppose that might take?????
The safe weight loss is 2 pounds a week. 2 weeks? Hugs,
I am definitely trying this cake! Thank you for sharing Fae!
This looks so delicious. I love anything with cardamom and vanilla, which are great ideas for variations. I wonder how partial amounts quinoa, chickpea, oat or coconut flours would work in this cake? Looks delectable, as always, Fae.
Hi Shanna, Hmm, I never made cake with those ingredients. However, it sounds interesting. We do have cookies made of chickpea flour and it is wonderful. Let’s give it a try! 😀
This sounds delicious!
Simple, yet lovely! I am so sorry I have just neglected everyone’s blog. Hope all is well with you,Fae!
Hello Dear Tonette! So nice to see you, and than you for the visit. I hope all is well with you too. Everything is fine with me and just returned from a long trip and will be going on another in couple of month. I have posted about the destinations and some of their dishes. Whenever you have time, check them out.
Yummy!!
snap – I blogged this a while ago, too! #GreatMinds Looks great.
Oh yes, not too long ago… Gateau Breton. Isn’t this a yummy cake?
What lovely colour, the cake also looks quite crisp x
HI Fae
I will save this recipe for a special occasion, it looks very yummy and like it would go fantastic with a great cup of coffee!
This looks so delicious and not too difficult. What a perfect summer dessert…or breakfast
Sweet Amanda, Yes, it will be good anytime! 😛
This cake looks so rich and I like that it does not seem to be too sweet, thanks for sharing I will try this as a breakfast cake
Hi Kabul Kitchen! Have your tried it yet? Its sweetness is just right and enough. Let me know how you like(d) it.
One of my favorite desserts Fae, your Gateau Breton reminds me my childhood memories, the smell and the buttery texture. Thank you for sharing
Food always brings back nostalgic memories. I’m glad it brought back fond memories for you.
The cake looks so delicious….. I love the golden brown colour you have achieved and the pretty cross hatch pattern.
The little bit of yogurt in the egg wash does wonders.
Love this buttery cake Fae!
Thank you, Sandra. A great find. I think I am going to bake every chance I get to have some around. It freeze well too. 😀 )))
The recipe and accompaning photos look fantastic. Perfectly moist (not too dry, not too wet)!
What a wonderful looking cake, Fae!
Beautiful cake! Must try:)
What a beautiful cake! Thanks for sharing the recipe and the origins of this dessert!
Thank you, Mary. It tastes so~ good for such an easy cake to make.
This is soooooooo so so so good! I love this cake! I could easily eat one by myself
My supermarket sells a loaf version of Gateau Breton that comes from France and it is so delicious and buttery! I can imagine how heavenly your homemade version must be, Fae! Have to try this soon
Last time I baked was to cut and store in the freezer for when I need my fix. 😀 )))
What a beautifully glazed top. Very very attractive
This looks amazing Fae!
Looks yummy!
Sounds delightful Fae!
Fae – another wonderful post from you that triggered memories for me! I came to know and love Gateau Breton the summer I spent with our family in France. Merci!!!
Sweet Ahu, Foods that bring back fond, nostalgic memories are special, aren’t they.
Your posts never allow me to escape without reading it, fabulous recipe and fabulous picture, will try it soon…….!!
Good to see you, Prateeksha. This cake is really goo~d. 😛
I love Breton cake it is VERY delicious and decadent. Buttery soft and moist. It’s absolutely delicious and your cake is beautiful.
Sweet Suzanne, When you give me your stamp of approval, it makes me very happy.
You make me blush!
this looks insanely good – thanks for posting!
That looks amazing!
On my to-do list…
Delicious, thanks for the recipe.
I would love to bake this cake anytime!!
looks buttery and lovely….
It looks lovely ☺️ you have reminded me of trips to Brittany as a child
Lovely cake. Traditionally a Gâteau Breton is made with buckwheat flour as Brittany was an area where buckwheat was grown. I did a post on it a little while ago (https://americanfoodieabroad.wordpress.com/tag/gateau-breton/). David Lebovitz even has a chocolate buckwheat version. But, many people prefer this version made from plain wheat flour. And, I agree with you, the best way to savour the buttery flavour of this cake is without spices or essences.
Wow, I had seen your post, Breton Blé Noir in January, but did not remember it to put the two together. Thank you for bringing it back to me and providing the link. While checking about the cake, I also read about using buckwheat was how it started. Agreeing with you, I am one of the people who prefers the flour version of this cake.
It looks delicious and really easy to make. I’ll have to try it some day.
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi Raveka, Give it a try, it really has a delightful flavor. <3
yum! Looks amazing!
I need to try this out. Thanks for the directions