Gâteau breton – buttery cake with sea salt Recipe
Gâteau breton is a very buttery, dense cake from Brittany that’s like a cross between a shortcrust tart and a cookie. The French often take it on trips or picnics because it keeps fresh for a long time and is easy to slice. A delicate hint of sea salt enhances the buttery flavor and keeps the cake from tasting bland.
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
45 min
Total Time
70 min
Servings
10
Ingredients
- butter soft, at room temperature - 200 g
- sugar preferably fine - 180 g
- egg yolk you can use the whites for meringue - 6 piece
- wheat flour type 450–550 - 250 g
- sea salt fine; if using regular table salt, use a little less - 0.5 teaspoon
- vanilla extract or vanilla sugar - 1 teaspoon
- egg yolk for brushing the top - 1 piece
- milk for thinning the yolk - 1 tablespoon
Main Ingredient:
butter
Preparation
- Take the butter out of the fridge at least 1 hour in advance so it softens. Preheat the oven to 170°C (top and bottom heat). Grease a round 22 cm cake tin with butter and line the base with baking paper.
- Put the soft butter and sugar into a large bowl. Beat with a mixer for 3–4 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Add the egg yolks (6 pieces) one at a time, mixing after each addition until combined. Finally add the vanilla extract and salt and mix briefly.
- Add the flour and mix with a spatula or spoon until you get a thick, fairly heavy dough with no visible streaks of flour. Do not overmix, or the cake may turn out tough.
- Transfer the dough to the tin, smooth the top with a spoon or spatula, pressing down so there are no air pockets. Smooth the surface with a dampened spoon.
- Mix the yolk for brushing with 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush the top of the cake evenly with a thin layer.
- Create a pattern on top: drag the tip of a knife across the surface to draw a criss-cross pattern (diagonal lines in both directions), without pressing too hard.
- Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the sides are just starting to pull away from the tin. If the top browns too quickly, cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil.
- After baking, remove the tin from the oven and leave for 15 minutes. Then remove the cake from the tin, peel off the paper, and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Slice only once the cake is completely cool; it will be firm and easy to cut into wedges.
Storage
In fridge:
5 days
Freezing:
Yes
The cake keeps well for several days at room temperature if wrapped or stored in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze individual slices and thaw them at room temperature when needed.
Recipe submitted by
Marek, Site owner
Published:
Updated:
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