Beaten Cake is a unique recipe that is purely French in origin, having first popped up only about 25 km from the English Channel in Northern France. First a creation in the small rural area of Ponthieu, Beaten Cake has likely Scandinavian origins that go as far back as the Norman invasion of France in 1066, and today is a common dessert in nearby Amiens – the largest city that is near Ponthieu.
It is a tall, round cake that stands on end like a great cylinder. When the cake is completed, it almost resembles a large sponge cake or angel food cake.
Not difficult to make, Beaten Cake is very simple in terms of ingredients and method and is primarily flour, eggs, and a huge amount of butter. While the recipe has matured over time, there are still a few different ways to make it – and all of them are quite rich.
When complete, this tastes great with any kind of fruit-based jam and cream – such as a strawberry jam with fresh cream.
Ingredients
Instructions
Put the flower into a bowl, and combine all of it with the cognac, butter (melted), salt, and egg yolks. Add the yeast after “proofing” in warm water.
Add the beaten egg white, then fold the mixture.
Knead thoroughly until the dough is consistent throughout and doesn’t easily stick to your fingers
Wipe butter on two 6″ cake molds, and place only half the dough in each one. Then cover, and let rise for one hour in a warm place (do not place in refrigerator).
Once the dough has finished rising to nearly filling the pans, bake on 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Beaten Cake
Ingredients
- Makes 2 full cakes
- 18 oz. fine flour
- 2 oz. sugar
- 10 egg yolks + 1 egg white
- 8 oz. butter
- 4 oz. fresh baker’s yeast
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 wine glass of cognac
- Lighter version for 1 cake
- 8 oz flour
- 1 oz baker’s yeast
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2 oz powdered sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 5 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Put the flower into a bowl, and combine all of it with the cognac, butter (melted), salt, and egg yolks. Add the yeast after “proofing” in warm water.
- Add the beaten egg white, then fold the mixture.
- Knead thoroughly until the dough is consistent throughout and doesn’t easily stick to your fingers
- Wipe butter on two 6″ cake molds, and place only half the dough in each one. Then cover, and let rise for one hour in a warm place (do not place in refrigerator).
- Once the dough has finished rising to nearly filling the pans, bake on 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
