outside edge, but has a soft, dense, and moist interior. In Brittany, this gâteau (ga-TOH), a cross between shortbread and pound cake, is made with equal parts butter, sugar, and flour, but with about one-third eggs. (If it were to have an equal part of eggs, it would be the ubiquitous quatre-quarts, or "pound cake.") This recipe is most similar to my favorite of all pastries, Gâteau Basque in The Pie and Pastry Bible. The Gâteau Basque is less rich because it has a little less sugar, only half the butter, and half the eggs, making it more like a pastry than a cake. Interesting that the two regions in France are so separated geographically yet came up with such similar gâteaux.
For my interpretation of Gâteau Breton, I have decreased the sugar to 60 percent of the flour and added ground almonds for extra flavor and subtle texture. Since the success of this recipe depends on the best-quality high-fat butter, I use Organic Valley European-Style Cultured Butter with 84 percent butterfat or Vermont cultured butter with 86 percent butterfat, which are similar to the butters of Normandy and Brittany. Plugra, which has 80 percent butterfat and is not "cultured," is also an excellent choice. When beating in the egg yolks, the higher-fat butter emulsifies the yolks smoothly and quickly. But with lower butterfat butter the finished texture is just as good.
Gâteau Breton is most cakelike on day one, but it progressively approaches the shortbread spectrum and is still excellent even after a week at room temperature. Another of this cake's virtues is that it is exceptionally quick and easy to prepare.
Batter
Volume
Ounce
Gram
blanched sliced almonds
½ cup
1.5
42
superfine sugar
¾ cup, divided
5.3
150
salt (see Notes )
¼ teaspoon
.
.
unsalted butter, preferably high fat (or high-quality lightly salted butter), 65° to 75°F/19° to 23°C (see Notes )
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (or 2½ sticks)
9 (or 10)
255 (or 284)
about 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
¼ cup plus ½ tablespoon (2.6 fluid ounces)
2.6
74
kirsch, dark rum, or water
1 tablespoon (0.5 fluid ounce)
0.5
15
pure vanilla extract
1¼ teaspoons
.
.
bleached all-purpose flour
2 cups (sifted into the cup and leveled off) plus 3 tablespoons
8.7
250
1 whole egg, lightly beaten
about 1 tablespoon
.
.
Special Equipment
One 9½ by 1 3/8-inch (or 1-inch) fluted tart pan with removable bottom, preferably nonstick (see Notes ), set on a rimmed baking pan, or one 9 by 2-inch round cake pan, encircled with a cake strip, coated with baking spray with flour
Preheat the Oven
Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C.
Toast and Grind the Almonds
Spread the almonds evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes, or until pale gold. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid overbrowning. Cool completely. In a food processor, process the almonds with about ¼ cup of the sugar and the salt until fairly fine but not powder fine.
Make the Batter
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix together the remaining sugar and the butter on medium speed for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the yolks, 1 at a time, beating for about 20 seconds between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the almond mixture, kirsch, and vanilla and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for about 20 seconds until evenly incorporated. Add the flour in four parts, beating on the lowest speed for about 15 seconds and turning off the mixer between additions. Detach the beater and, with a silicone spatula, finish mixing in any flour that may remain, reaching to the bottom of the bowl. Using the silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small offset spatula. If you are using a 1-inch-high tart pan, the batter will be
For my interpretation of Gâteau Breton, I have decreased the sugar to 60 percent of the flour and added ground almonds for extra flavor and subtle texture. Since the success of this recipe depends on the best-quality high-fat butter, I use Organic Valley European-Style Cultured Butter with 84 percent butterfat or Vermont cultured butter with 86 percent butterfat, which are similar to the butters of Normandy and Brittany. Plugra, which has 80 percent butterfat and is not "cultured," is also an excellent choice. When beating in the egg yolks, the higher-fat butter emulsifies the yolks smoothly and quickly. But with lower butterfat butter the finished texture is just as good.
Gâteau Breton is most cakelike on day one, but it progressively approaches the shortbread spectrum and is still excellent even after a week at room temperature. Another of this cake's virtues is that it is exceptionally quick and easy to prepare.
Batter
Volume
Ounce
Gram
blanched sliced almonds
½ cup
1.5
42
superfine sugar
¾ cup, divided
5.3
150
salt (see Notes )
¼ teaspoon
.
.
unsalted butter, preferably high fat (or high-quality lightly salted butter), 65° to 75°F/19° to 23°C (see Notes )
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (or 2½ sticks)
9 (or 10)
255 (or 284)
about 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
¼ cup plus ½ tablespoon (2.6 fluid ounces)
2.6
74
kirsch, dark rum, or water
1 tablespoon (0.5 fluid ounce)
0.5
15
pure vanilla extract
1¼ teaspoons
.
.
bleached all-purpose flour
2 cups (sifted into the cup and leveled off) plus 3 tablespoons
8.7
250
1 whole egg, lightly beaten
about 1 tablespoon
.
.
Special Equipment
One 9½ by 1 3/8-inch (or 1-inch) fluted tart pan with removable bottom, preferably nonstick (see Notes ), set on a rimmed baking pan, or one 9 by 2-inch round cake pan, encircled with a cake strip, coated with baking spray with flour
Preheat the Oven
Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C.
Toast and Grind the Almonds
Spread the almonds evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes, or until pale gold. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid overbrowning. Cool completely. In a food processor, process the almonds with about ¼ cup of the sugar and the salt until fairly fine but not powder fine.
Make the Batter
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix together the remaining sugar and the butter on medium speed for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the yolks, 1 at a time, beating for about 20 seconds between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the almond mixture, kirsch, and vanilla and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for about 20 seconds until evenly incorporated. Add the flour in four parts, beating on the lowest speed for about 15 seconds and turning off the mixer between additions. Detach the beater and, with a silicone spatula, finish mixing in any flour that may remain, reaching to the bottom of the bowl. Using the silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small offset spatula. If you are using a 1-inch-high tart pan, the batter will be
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