Gateau Battu

Gateau Battu is a yeast cake rich in egg yolks, milk and butter. The cake is known to have a brown crust with a golden centre, and the texture of this delightful cake is super light.

It is a sweet flavored cake which can be eaten at the end of a meal, for breakfast, with the evening tea/coffee, or for gouter – the ritual snack time for French children that usually happens at about 4.30 pm each afternoon when the school is out.

There are many recipes available for this scrumptious cake, but we present to you the best recipe which is easy to make with the help of basic ingredients.

Health Benefits

Gateau battu is packed with calcium and proteins which are significant nutrients for the healthy growth of our body.

The cake contains ingredients that can boost your mood and increases energy levels. This can be highly beneficial for those who are suffering from depression.

Ingredients

flour: 200 g

warm milk: 50 ml

Melted butter: 125 g

Eggs: 3

tsp of sugar: 3

tsp of salt: 1

fresh yeast: 20 g

a dash of orange flower water (optional)

How To Make 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.