Ive made many madelines with success. I made the recipe for orange madelines in this book. Madelines was very tasty but no humps. She says that the french prepare the pans, put the batter into the pans, cover with plastic and refrigerate for 3 hrs or more. I decided to do this. When I took the plastic wrap off it some dough stuck to the plastic, no hump. I usually refrigerate my dough in a covered container overnight. About an hour before baking, i prepare my pans and stick them in the freezer for about an hour and then scope my dough into the madeline pans. Get humps everytime.
3 Likes
https://www.cakepaperparty.com/2014/08/big-bang-theory/
Perhaps this would be of interest regarding “cake banging” 
Alice Medrich has also mentioned it, but as in everything else, whatever works for each of us is the way to go.
3 Likes
This is my inclination, too. Even Dorie does it at the last, but my notes show when I made her version of the French Yogurt Cake, I added the oil to the wet. I am making the Gateau version tomorrow - decisions, decisions!
Ha! Maybe, but I think both the cakes pictured in that blog look pretty awful. The top is reminiscent of cottage cheese.
My cakes turn out well so I’ll stick with what I’m doing, or not doing in this case.
I posted the link for general information, and as I said, you do you…whatever works for you!
1 Like
MR…for what it’s worth, I always emulsify the eggs, sugar, oil. I have noticed that almost every French yogurt cake on the web, adds the oil last.
Apparently, that’s the way it’s done in France but c’est la vie…we can do it the other way successfully.
1 Like
I wonder what The High Priestess of Cakes (RLB) thinks about the “Thwacking” technique.
Two bakes from yesterday, the GATEAU au YAOURT with raspberries. This is the first cake in the book which I have made previously. The author mentions that you can add the ingredients in whatever order you’d like. This was very pleasing with the raspberries, a tender, moist cake that is just as delicious plain.
The second, is a repeat of the GÂTEAU au YAOURT et aux POIRES pg. 10. This has chocolate and pears within the little cakelets, nice to have with an espresso.
I can recommend both, easy to put together and easier to eat.
11 Likes
GATEAU AU YAOURT (Yogurt Cake). P. 2
I’m going to call this The Valentine’s Day Massacre Cake – lol! The cake itself is excellent, but I’m not sure my idea for the glaze translates well.
As far as the recipe goes, this is the simplest of cakes – no mixer or advanced skills required. Of the options, I used cake flour, grapeseed oil, vanilla and salt, and then topped with a raspberry-jam glaze.
I incorporated the oil in with the wet ingredients (as opposed to adding last), and otherwise followed the recipe, baking in a fancy, 6-cup bundt pan for 37 minutes.
I am super pleased with the results. I found the cake tender with a nice, solid crumb, not overly sweet, and with just a hint of vanilla.
I have to say I am liking this book quite a bit. The recipes are straight-forward and approachable. The ingredients are easily obtained. I love how she offers variations with many of the recipes - the Quatre Quarts recipe alone has 52 different flavor profiles following the master recipe, many of which can be applied to other cakes in the book. As one who is just delving into the world of cake, whose preference runs toward the effortless yet is looking to be inspired to get creative, this one ticks all the boxes. I am enjoying reading through it, and look forward to baking more French cakes.
11 Likes
GATEAU AU YAOURT
I need to start by saying I swerved off course, but followed the outline. I had some ricotta that needed using, and a couple of old bananas. Seeing Nannybakes’ version with raspberries made me figure it was worth a shot. I replaced the yogurt with ricotta (whole milk), added the old bananas and some flour dusted chocolate chips, and a little bourbon and vanilla. I made this in a 9 inch pan, and there is a small bit in the very middle that didn’t fully cook ( density of the ricotta or banana?). I feel like I used just a little too much of the vanilla, but overall it worked and the family loves the cake.
8 Likes
It sounds like a great variation! I forgot to mention that I used sour cream in the little pear cakelets which of course , wasn’t bad!
If you have a thermapen, a temperature of 200* seems to be the sweet spot for me. The bananas probably kept it on the moist side, but I bet it would be delicious toasted as well.
1 Like
9 Likes
CAKE D’ALSACE P. 292
Utilizing what I had on hand, modifications included using low-fat buttermilk, American-style commodity bacon, shallots (caramelized in Kurobuta bacon fat for extra deliciousness), and dried chives. I used gruyere for cheese, and included the equivalent of the full amount of salt.
Either I’m blind, or she doesn’t indicate whether to include the sauteed allium (with the wet or the dry). I chose wet. I made a half-recipe in two 5” x 3” USA pans. Bake time was 35 minutes to 205 degrees.
These smelled awesome while assembling and baking. As recommended, I resisted them about an hour after baking before cutting into one (the other will be put in an airtight container and refrigerated overnight for tomorrow).
Just terrific. The texture is identifiable as cake, and not just a big muffin. All of the flavors – bacon, cheese, onion, herbs – come through nicely (and not all at the same time). The crumb is tender and moist. It’s a rich and satisfying savory cake.
She doesn’t give portion sizes in this book – lol! Between the two of us, together with some cut up fruit, we devoured an entire small cake for lunch. Add a green salad and a glass of Brut, and it would make a very nice brunch or picnic.
Will certainly make again, and I would like to try cheddar cheese at some point.
11 Likes
This sounds so good! I can’t find a similar recipe online
When I bookmarked this it sounded exactly like Dorie’s Apero bread, which I’ve made many times and is delicious.
She has several versions out there with slight variations — there’s a ham and cheese on the NYT aside from the WaPo one I lined above.
Hers uses milk not buttermilk, but they are easily interchanged. Mixture of cheeses is flexible, as other add-ins and spices.
Also similar to Chetna Makan’s savory quickbreads (which are delicious) from Cardamom Trail which use yogurt (there’s a spinach spice one and a tomato paneer one iirc – made and loved both).
5 Likes
If you have access to the NYT, there are a few on there as well. There are a fair amount on the web that should give you the basics and you can chose what you would like to include. It’s really just a quick bread.
3 Likes
CAKE CROQUE MONSIEUR / HAM AND CHEESE SAVORY LOAF
She describes this as a “giant gougere” so if you track my past rabbit holes, down I went 
That said, the recipe is virtually identical to the Cake D’Alsace @MunchkinRedux made, so if I had looked at those pictures I might have questioned the description. But, as I mentioned earlier, very reminiscent of Dorie’s Apero Bread, so whatever turned out was bound to be delicious.
I made some adjustments for what I had on hand – a combination of kefir and yogurt instead of buttermilk, fried shallots instead of ham (because the ham I dug out of my freezer was well past any use, sadly), shallots instead of leeks as she suggests, and a mix of cheeses – aged cheddar, aged gouda, and a little pecorino. The batter was thicker than I expected. PSA: mind the salt, I could have skipped it entirely given on the cheeses I used.
Based on her description of Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 textures, I decided mini muffins would work better for me than a loaf (also that gougeres description again). Baked for 25 mins at 350, till the tops were nicely browned (happened to take temp and it was 205 at this point).
Very tasty, but not gougeres-like, more bready – closer to the Cheese Puffers in Baking with Dorie, or the Impossible Quiche Bites I tried last year. But I love all these things!
11 Likes
CAKE ROQUEFORT ET NOIX…joining in the savory baking, this version is an absolute winner. I used St. Agur in large pieces, toasted walnuts and prosciutto that was crisped up and broken into small pieces. This was served slightly warm, it sliced well as the walnuts were chopped in small pieces. This was a half recipe in a small loaf pan, we had half and I’m hoping the remaining half will be as delectable tomorrow. My one caveat on this was the salt, I would completely eliminate it the next time. Made for a lovely lunch with sliced pears and a salad of mâche, loose leaf lettuce, radish sprouts and radishes.
9 Likes
Had some for breakfast — texture changed to more bready, flavors intensified beautifully (I used fried shallots as a flavor boost instead of ham, and they really came through today).
Sliced and toasted - lovely! (I buttered them but that was a mistake, because: SALT)
10 Likes
This was my experience as well. Between the meat and the cheese, the salt is overkill.
2 Likes
