French Cakes

Madeleines are the perfect accompaniment to afternoon tea - these buttery sponge cakes (often mistaken for cookies because of their small size) are slightly browned and crispy on the outside while remaining soft and tender on the inside. A typical... READ MORE

This elaborately decorated, rolled, and filled sponge cake is frosted with chocolate buttercream made to look like a tree bark. Some of the decorations might include marzipan sticks, sugar cobwebs, and meringue mushrooms. The origins of the cake c... READ MORE

Both crispy and creamy in texture, this French cake is traditionally made with almond or hazelnut meringue sponge cake separated with layers of whipped cream or buttercream. The cake takes its name from the French word dacquois, meaning <... READ MORE

Kouign-amann is a cake that originated in the 1800s in the French region of Bretagne. Its name is derived from the Breton words for cake (kouign) and butter (amann). The cake consists of layers of butter and sugar that are folded... READ MORE

This cake originated in 18th-century France as a sponge cake pressed into an elegant mold, filled with thick custard or crème Bavaroise flavored with cooked fruit, spices, or brandy. The cake is said to have been invented by a famous French... READ MORE

Fraisier is a French cake, its name derived from the word fraise, meaning strawberry. Traditionally, the cake consists of layers of genoise sponge, vanilla-flavored créme mousselline, marzipan, and lines of fresh,... READ MORE

This classic French dessert is usually associated with northern and central France regions and belongs to the wide group of king cakes that are prepared and enjoyed on Epiphany—a Christian holiday celebrated on January 6, commemorating the a... READ MORE

Financier is a small French cake that is sometimes erroneously mistaken for a pastry since it is similar to a sponge cake. The cakes are baked in moulds and shaped to look like golden bricks known as lingot in French. Financiers are usual... READ MORE

This classic Basque cake consists of two layers of shortcrust pastry and either a filling made with black cherry preserve or, more often, vanilla-flavored pastry cream. If made with black cherries, the top of the cake is usually decorated with the... READ MORE

Gâteau au yaourt or yogurt cake is a popular French cake that is often served to guests alongside a cup of tea or coffee in many French households. It consists of flour, sugar, eggs, oil, and plain yogurt. Because it is fast and eas... READ MORE

A thousand crêpes cake—as translated in English—is a classic French dessert consisting of crêpes stacked on top of each other and layered with, most typically, a thin coating of either icing sugar or pastry cream, while the... READ MORE

Often dubbed as the Corsican take on cheesecake, fiadone is a traditional dessert prepared with brocciu (fresh whey cheese made from goat's or ewe’s milk), eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Occasionally, oranges are used ins... READ MORE

Far Breton is a traditional dessert: a custard flan cake similar to clafoutis, consisting of milk, eggs, flour, prunes, and raisins. The cake is a specialty of the Brittany region, and the original recipe dates back to the 18th century, w... READ MORE

Pound cake is a British dessert consisting of one pound of each of the following ingredients: flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, hence the name. There is no leavening agent used in the preparation, except the air that is whipped into the batter. It d... READ MORE

These small, delicate French cakes are similar to muffins in appearance and texture. They consist of egg whites, butter, sugar, and almond flour. These small cakes are often flavored with various ingredients such as chocolate, nuts, or pieces of f... READ MORE

Royal is a classic French dessert that is also known as trianon. The base of the cake is made from dacquoise—the crispy almond meringue that's topped with crunchy praline cream, usually consisting of melted chocola... READ MORE

In its original form, gâteau opera combines coffee-flavored buttercream, chocolate ganache, and layers of biscuit Joconde—a light almond sponge that is infused with coffee syrup or Grand Marnier liqueur. Each cake is topped wi... READ MORE

Gâteau Nantais is a traditional Nantes cake consisting of butter, sugar, flour, eggs, ground almonds, and rum. When baked, the sponge is doused in a rum-infused syrup, and it is then topped with a white sugar glaze that is often also spiked ... READ MORE

Gâteau moka is a classic French cake. It consists of two layers genoise sponges that are soaked with coffee syrup. The layers and the whole cake are then coated in a coffee-flavored buttercream. The sides of the cake are usually gar... READ MORE

The delicate nonnettes, or jam-filled individual cakes, are one of the classic French desserts. Although there are several different variations of the cake, essentially all of them are gingerbread cakes that are filled with aromatic orange jams an... READ MORE

Gâteau de ménage or household cake is a traditional, simple cake originating from the French region of Franche-Comté. It is a type of flat, round brioche that is topped with chocolate chips or egg cream known as go... READ MORE

Gâteau Creusois is a traditional French cake originating from Creuse. It's made with a combination of egg whites, flour, sugar, ground hazelnuts, and butte... READ MORE

Tourteau fromagé is a traditional pastry from the Poitou region in France, made with fresh goat cheese. Originating from the Pays Mellois, its name derives from "tourterie," meaning "cake" in the Poitevin dialect. Historically baked in roun... READ MORE

Beerawecka is a French dish that is traditionally served at Christmas in Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin. The dish is a cake made with dried fruits (pears, plums, raisins, figs, apricots), candied peel, and nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts. The... READ MORE

Pastissou is a traditional cake originating from Levezou in Aveyron. The cake is usually made with a combination of flour, sugar, butter, ground walnuts, milk, eggs, and baking powder. The walnuts are roasted with caramel, and the cake is topped w... READ MORE