Gateau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes
REVIEW BY MARIA BUTEUX READE
Written by Aleksandra Crapanzano
Illustrations by Cassandre Montoriol
Published by Scribner, 2022
Life is full of contrasts, and that applies to culinary predilections as well. Flavors and textures can be sweet or savory, crunchy or smooth, spicy or subtle. Two of my new favorite cookbooks, Gâteau and Grist, could not be more polar opposite: One celebrates the art of French baking, and the other honors humble grains and beans. Yet both focus on the fundamental joy of comfort foods, made with relatively simple techniques and high-quality ingredients. Good butter, fresh eggs, rich dairy; wholesome dry beans and diverse grains, from barley and buckwheat to corn and quinoa. These beautifully written tomes offer a deep dive into the authors’ passions. Aleksandra Crapanzano grew up in Paris where she experienced firsthand the daily pleasures of simple cakes made at home, while Abra Berens brings her perspective as a farmer and chef to creative recipes that extol nature’s workhorses: beans and grains. Settle into both and relish the culinary contrasts that keep life interesting—and delicious!
When we dream of French baked goods, we naturally envision flaky pastries, perfectly arranged fruit tarts, ethereal confections, ganache- enrobed cakes. While those images are accurate, they don’t reflect how the French bake at home. Aleksandra Crapanzano points out that les français let their pâtissiers handle those treats, knowing these delights are available in nearly every street corner shop. Rather, French home bakers turn to a repertoire of beloved classic recipes based on simple techniques. The recipes within this book rarely exceed 10 ingredients, and most instructions are concise and unfussy.
The book opens with two simple classic cakes, each with endless variations. The Gâteau au Yaourt, or Yogurt Cake, is built with six ingredients: whole plain yogurt, sugar, eggs, neutral oil, flour and baking powder. That’s it. This loaf cake can be enhanced with practically anything: tarted up with citrus zest; elevated with a Grand Marnier soaking syrup and apricot jam-rum glaze; topped with pears or apples. Gâteau Quatre-Quarts, the French version of our pound cake, requires only butter, eggs, sugar and flour with a whisper of vanilla extract and orange or lemon zest. From that base, the cake becomes a platform that welcomes 52 riffs, including apple and Calvados; fennel, orange, and golden raisin; cardamom coffee; lemon thyme; ginger and turmeric.
With relatively few ingredients, seeking the highest quality is essential. All butters are not created equal. American butters hover around 80 percent butterfat whereas French butter clocks in at a whopping 86 percent or higher. Aleksandra does give a solid nod, however, to Vermont Creamery’s cultured butter. As for chocolate, she relies on several styles made by Valrhona, the French premium chocolate company. The French love to add a splash of spirits in their cooking and baking, drizzled into light glazes and whipped cream, or soaked into a finished cake for a grown-up flair. She points out that “The French will turn to a bottle of liqueur before they’ll reach into the cupboard for an extract.” That observation sent me scurrying to dust off treasures in the depths of my liquor cabinet: Grand Marnier, Amaretto Disaronno, Calvados, crème de cassis, and limoncello.
Another chapter focuses on regional classics from Brittany, Normandy, the Basque country and beyond. Many of these incorporate local fruits such as apples, pears and raspberries. Nut-based cakes and tortes are another French specialty: walnuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, almonds, pistachios, pine nuts. Chocolate cakes certainly get star treatment, with 18 separate recipes. Little chocolate cork cakes, or bouchons, are the perfect snack cakes and can be jazzed up with orange, raspberry, ginger, cinnamon or chile pepper. A molten chocolate cake arises (or melts??) thanks to five ingredients: bittersweet chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs and a half-cup flour.
The greatest surprise for me in this book were the savory cakes, simple loaf cakes that call for ham, bacon or chorizo; various cheeses (Gruyère, Roquefort, feta, chèvre, mozzarella); olives; caramelized leeks or onions. Eaten warm from the oven with a salad or bowl of soup, crisped a day later in the toaster, or even served as cocktail nibbles, these richly flavored loaves take an elegant step out of the ordinary.
If you are a baker, particularly one with a love of all things French, savor this beautifully written book that will transport you to France through your oven.
