Lundi: Recipes

A Quatre Cake, or Quatre Quart as it is known in its native France, is essential pound cake a la Francais.  You need to channel a bit of Alton Brown to do it correctly, because the ingredients are based on weight, not measure.  There are four (quatre) ingredients: eggs, room temperature butter, sugar and all purpose flour, and the very best way to tackle this recipe is with a scale.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a bunt or loaf pan.  Now you’re ready to mix.

Start by weighing your mixing bowl, then break the eggs into the bowl and weigh it again.  The difference is the weight of butter, sugar and flour you will need for the recipe.  Everything goes into the bowl to be mixed well. 

Pour into your pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted toward the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let stand for a minute or two.  Then turn your cake out onto a wire rack to cool. 

This basic cake can be tinkered with a million different ways.  Add berries or other fruits, drizzle in some honey or chocolate sauce or top it with something as simple as a dusting of powdered sugar.  It is, of course, very dense so a loaf of this cake will make up to 15 servings.  Bon appetite ~

Header: A lively yellow kitchen from 1959 via Mid-Century (that would wake you up in the morning!)