Le gâteau breton

Traou mad* !

In Lorient it’s not only the hats that are round, there’s also the Breton cake!

This cake was officially created in 1867, when Louis Crucer from Port-Louis, presented it at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. The “Lorient cake” quickly became “Breton” because, for a long time, every Breton family has had its own recipe. The serial poisoner Hélène Jegado used it as a weapon at the beginning of the 19th century… However, as far as the ingredients are concerned, no arsenic! The traditional cake has only four: flour, butter (salted evel just**), eggs, sugar. But flavours can be added to everyone’s taste, prunes, salted butterscotch or even a cork of rum…

It can be found in all good patisseries in Lorient Bretagne Sud, and for the daring, test the buckwheat version from Keryoun (Prix Epicures Or 2019 in Paris)! Every year since 2013, the Breton cake has its own international competition, organised by the Brotherhood of the same name, which has every intention of making it known throughout the world.

*Good things
**Of course

Did you know?

The Breton cake is a travel cake. It’s even better when it’s a little stale. It will keep for several weeks (it was easily to take it on board fishing boats during long excursions). It is even said that the best Breton cakes will keep for a year!

Breton Cake Recipe

Ingredients :

250g of flour

250g of semi-salted butter

250g of crystal sugar

6 egg yolks

Choice of flavouring: orange blossom, rum, bergamot…

Preparation:

Mix the flour and sugar. Add the butter in small pieces, blending it into the flour with your fingertips.

Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add the egg yolks. Then knead the dough by hand and roll it into a ball.

Flatten out to the dimensions of a 24 cm mould. Place the dough in the mould, if necessary smoothing the surface. Brush with egg yolk and make large stripes with a fork.

Cooking

Place in the oven and cook for 50 minutes first in a moderate oven then reduce the heat at the end of cooking.

Allow to cool before turning out of the mould.

The International Breton Cake Contest

This annual contest, which usually takes place in the autumn, is open to amateurs (housewives, cooking enthusiasts, Sunday pastry chefs, etc.). It is organized by the Confrérie du gâteau breton “Le Lorientais” et Emglev bro an Oriant.

Participants can compete with any recipe of their choice either using only the basic ingredients of the traditional recipe (butter, flour, eggs and sugar), or a plain recipe (family, handed down, etc.) or flavoured (rum, bergamot, orange blossom, etc.), without adding any other solid ingredients (compotes, jellies, jams, raisins, prunes, etc.).

Where can I buy Breton cake?

All the markets in Lorient Bretagne Sud: Discover the markets of Lorient Bretagne Sud

Biscuit, pastry and bakery shops: shops