Well, this is it. The week I have been both eagerly anticipating and dreading. We are closing on our new place and moving in this weekend. Currently, all of our kitchen is packed in boxes and Bryan resorted to drinking tea out of a measuring cup yesterday morning. Moving really is such a drag. No matter how well you prepare, or how excited you are for your new place—it just kind of blows. BUT! Soon it will be over and Lottie + Doof will return to its regular programming. I have some amazing guest posts that I am very excited to share and a pile of autumn recipes that I am looking forward to tackling. Before I say goodbye from this kitchen, I wanted to share a recipe for Gâteau Breton that is delicious.
A few weeks ago Bryan’s mom took us out to dinner to celebrate my birthday and for dessert we had the most delicious Gâteau Breton I have ever eaten. Gâteau Breton is a dense butter-filled cake from Brittany, its texture is somewhere between shortbread and pound cake. I went on the hunt for the perfect recipe but didn’t have much luck. I decided to turn to my internet friend Clotilde who saved the day. Not only did she have a recipe to share, she even went through the trouble of translating it for me! The cake turned out very well and I recommend it to anyone who needs a little comfort in the form of food.
Since there are so few ingredients, choose your butter wisely. If you have access to a Whole Foods, you’ll be able to find some french semi-salted butter and that will work nicely. Otherwise, just try to find the best, freshest butter possible. Happy Baking!
See you all soon and thanks again for your patience!
Gâteau Breton (Big thanks to Clotilde for translating this from Pâtisseries Maison)
- 325 grams flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 6 egg yolks +1 egg yolk for glazing
- 200 grams sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 g semi-salted butter, diced and softened
- 2 tbsp rum
Sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix together the 6 egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. Add the butter bit by bit, incorporating it until the mixture is creamy. Add the rum and stir to incorporate. Fold in the flour mixture in two additions, without overworking the dough. Chill for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch cake pan. Turn the dough out into the pan and spread it to cover the surface evenly, working with lightly floured hands if the dough feels too sticky.
Combine the remaining egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water to thin it out, and brush the top of the cake with egg wash. Using a fork, draw a criss-cross pattern on the top of the cake.
Place the cake in the oven, lower the heat to 325°F immediately, and bake for 45 minutes. 15 minutes before the end of the baking, place a piece of foil over the cake to prevent it from over-browning.
Let rest for a few hours before serving.
Whitney says:
October 20th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Good luck with the move!
Erin says:
October 20th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Unpack your kitchen quickly Tim. Your biggest fan in Sacramento has missed you terribly.
Oh, and I made a beautiful chocolate/cinnamon bundt cake this week. I know you aren’t
a chocolate fan but it was divine. Was in the Sept Bon Appetit. :-)
kristina says:
October 21st, 2009 at 1:26 am
Looks absolutely delicious. The cookbook looks fab too–how I wish I’d studied French in school! Good luck with the move. It will all be worth it! K x
clotilde says:
October 21st, 2009 at 9:37 am
So glad I could help, Tim!
tanvi says:
October 21st, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Ooooh, looks buttery and delicious! I love your blog, I keep bookmarking recipes from here and will probably need to make a separate folder soon…
linda says:
October 21st, 2009 at 2:53 pm
thank you for this recipe before your move!
semi- salted butter….what brand do you use…thanks for a reply.
best of luck.
Jen says:
October 21st, 2009 at 6:30 pm
I’m so glad to hear all is OK…i missed your posts…good luck with the move and I look forward to new recipes in a few weeks.
kelly says:
October 21st, 2009 at 8:57 pm
good luck with the move!
Andilynn says:
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:30 am
Hi Tim! Sure missed your posts…I can only imagine how busy you’ve been. I love shortbread & poundcake, so I’m sure this is going to be a winner. It will be the perfect comfort food for me on Sunday….the day after my sister’s surprise 50th B’day party. I’m doing all the catering for the party on Sat. so it will have to wait until after. I will relax with a piece of that cake & a nice spot of tea. Good luck with your move.
schneiderluvsdoof says:
October 22nd, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Can’t wait to see you in action in your beautiful new kitchen!
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats says:
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:49 am
Un…believable. This looks so dense, chewy and BUTTERY!! I’d love to give this a try!
Megan Gordon says:
October 25th, 2009 at 12:43 am
Congratulations on the move…and beautiful photo of the Gateau Breton–captures the buttery crumb perfectly.
Helen says:
October 25th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Can you put the recipe with cups instead of grams?
Jackie G says:
October 25th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
This looks fabulous. I will have to wait until I can get my hands on good butter. My husband will love this!!
Ann-Marie says:
October 27th, 2009 at 5:18 am
You had me at “somewhere between shortbread and pound cake”. I know what I’ll be doing this weekend. ALL weekend.
All the best on your move, and I look forward to reading more.
Dawn in CA says:
October 28th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Beautiful texture on this cake. I’ve never had Gateau Breton, but will have to give it a try now that I’ve seen your photos! Welcome back, and good luck with the move. You’ll be settled into your new kitchen in no time. :)
Natalie says:
November 8th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
This looks absolutely scrumptious. You’ve inspired me! I’m going to give this a try and make it gluten free.
Kathryn says:
November 25th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Made it without the rum – fantastic! So easy. Like a giant butter cookie, only it’s a cake. Whole Foods does indeed sell the Lurpak semi-salted butter. They sell just UNDER the amount required by this recipe. I added a few pats of my fridge butter to the mix and all turned out just fine. A wonderful new dessert!
Amy says:
November 30th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
I am so excited about this recipe! I had much Gateau Breton in France, and I have not been successful with the few recipes I have been able to find. Why didn’t I think of Clotilde?!? I can’t wait to make this!
Abby says:
June 24th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
Nigella Lawson also has a great gateau breton recipe in her book How to be a Domestic Goddess. I’ll have to compare it to this one!
Love your site. I’ve already printed off several recipes and plan to have some baked oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow.
Ginger says:
April 13th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
This looks delicious…I have been looking for a gateau breton recipe ever since I had it at Bistro 110 several years ago…they served it with a salted caramel sauce that was amazing!
Mariel says:
August 9th, 2013 at 3:19 pm
I tried this recipe and it is delicious and very easy to make AND I don’t have to pay $2.25 at the pastry shop for a bite size any more. Thank-you for sharing your favorite dessert.