Gateau Battu

1. Preheat the oven to 100 degrees C.
2. Activate the yeast by whisking it into a little warmed milk.
3. Leave it for a couple of minutes until it gets thick and frothy.
4. In another bowl, add in the flour. Make a well in the centre. Add two eggs into the well. When adding the yolk of the third egg, reserve the white in a separate small bowl, and whisk it properly.
5. Add in the sugar, salt and melted butter. Mix until properly combined. Add in the yeast mixture, and beat until a sticky dough forms.
6. When the batter has come together properly to form a soft dough, fold in the beaten egg whites, and put the dough into the greased cake tin.
7. Place your cake tin in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until the cake rises and turns golden brown from the outside.
8. Once the cake is doubled in height and changes the color, turn off the heat.
9. Take the cake out of the oven and place it onto the cooling rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
10. Serve the cake with tea and enjoy!

Trivia

• Gateau Battu literally means the “beaten cake”.
• It is a Picardy specialty from Ponthieu – Abbeville’s region.
• It is typically regarded as a fairly tall cake in a cylindrical shape.

At one point in time, the cake was served at Easter or special occasions like weddings, baptisms, or communions.