Breton Butter Cake Recipes

BRETON BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and salt; beat just until combined. Do not overmix.
• Transfer batter to 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom; with small offset spatula, spread batter and smooth top. (If necessary, chill batter 10 minutes before smoothing.) Place pan in refrigerator 15 minutes.
• Remove from refrigerator. Brush top with beaten egg, and mark a criss-cross pattern with a fork. Brush again with egg. Bake until cake is deep golden brown and edges pull away from sides of pan, about 50 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Remove cake from pan, and slice while still warm. Serve with strawberry compote.

CLASSIC BRETON BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
• Sift both flours, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed until doubled in volume and pale yellow, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the butter in four parts, beating until completely combined after each, 1 to 2 minutes total. With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, beating until combined.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan; with a small offset spatula, spread batter and smooth top. (If necessary, chill batter for 10 minutes before smoothing.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Remove pan from refrigerator. Brush top with beaten egg, and mark a crosshatch pattern with a knife. Brush again with egg. Bake until cake is deep golden brown and edges pull away from sides of pan, 40 to 45 minutes. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Remove cake from pan, and slice while still warm.

BRETON BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine yeast with 2/3 cup water and the orange flower water. Let sit until bubbly. In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt and yeast mixture. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Butter a large bowl and add dough. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 30 to 60 minutes. Place in refrigerator to firm up, about 30 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, pound chilled butter into a 5-inch square. Cover with plastic wrap and let come almost to room temperature; it should have an icing-like texture. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 10-inch disk. Place butter on top and fold dough up and around it to cover.
• Working quickly, roll out dough so that it is 2 feet long and 1 foot wide. Using a pastry brush, brush off excess flour. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar, and fold into thirds as if folding a business letter. Turn 90 degrees, sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar, roll out to 2 feet long and 1 foot wide, and fold into thirds. Repeat 2 more times, scraping up sticky areas. Avoid using too much flour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter and sugar a 9-inch glass pie plate. Place dough in plate, tucking corners under. Let rise in a warm place until soft and puffy, 1 to 2 hours. Brush surface with melted butter, and sprinkle with a generous amount of sugar and a little orange flower water. Bake until risen and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. If top browns before bottom, cover with foil. The bottom should be hazelnut brown. Remove from oven, slice and serve warm.

SUGAR CRUSTED BRETON BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. When dissolved, mix in 1/2 cup of the flour with your fingers, rubbing them together to break up any lumps. Cover with a barely dampened towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour and the salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix together with the tips of your fingers. Gradually sprinkle in the lukewarm water, mixing with your fingers to make a pliable dough. If the water is all mixed in and the dough still seems dry, add another tablespoon of water. Knead until smooth, about 4 minutes. Return the dough to the large bowl, cover with the damp towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and dust the top with flour. Roll into a rectangle about the same size as a sheet of paper (8 1/2 by 11-inches). Turn the rectangle so that it is vertical to your body. Dot the lower 2/3 of the dough with the pieces of butter and sprinkle with sugar. Working as though you are folding a letter, and folding the top down first, fold the dough in thirds. Roll out the folded dough into a rectangle, 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Fold in 3 again in the same way, cover with the damp towel, and let rest 15 minutes. Roll into a rectangle again, fold in 3, cover with the damp towel, and let rest 15 minutes. One last time, roll into a rectangle, fold in 3, cover with the damp towel, and let rest 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan. Roll the dough into a circle about 9 inches in diameter. Transfer to the prepared pan. Using a sharp knife or razor blade, make a cross-hatch pattern across the top of the cake (like a tic-tac-toe board). Bake for 20 minutes, brushing the top every 5 minutes with the melted butter that oozes out from the cake. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar and continue baking (do not baste) until golden brown on the top but still moist inside, about 10 minutes more. Let cool on a rack until the crust is caramelized and slightly crispy. Wash strawberries in cold water, allow the berries to drain. Combine the egg white and water and foam up mixture with a whisk. Dip the strawberries in the foam and then dip in superfine sugar. Arrange the frosted strawberries in the center of the cake. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm, cut into wedges.
• *RAW EGG WARNING
• Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.