Cakes, Madeleines & Financiers

  • Classic French Pear Cake

    by Audrey

    This Classic French Pear Cake features tender pear chunks nestled in a light and airy crumb, flavored with almond extract. Right before baking, the cake gets dusted with sugar to create a signature crackly top. It’s super-easy to make and is just sweet enough, with a delightful more-pear-than-crumb-ratio. If you love pears, this recipe will become a staple in your repertoire. 

  • Apple Breton Pound Cake (Quatre-Quarts aux Pommes)

    by Audrey

    A Breton Pound Cake, known as “Quatre-Quarts” (four quarters) is the ubiquitous French snacking cake. It’s simple, not-too-sweet, just dense enough to be eaten with your hands and full of buttery flavors. This version is studded with lightly caramelized apple chunks to keep it moist and irresistible. A great year-round recipe for your baking repertoire!

  • Classic French Spiced Bread (Pain d’Épices)

    by Audrey

    Rye flour, a good amount of honey and a unique spice blend are the key components of a great Classic French Spiced Bread – also known as Pain d’Épices. This cross between a cake and a bread is a holiday staple in France. It can be found on most Christmas market stalls, sold in big slabs. It is also a favorite to make amongst home bakers as it is a really simple recipe that makes the house smell wonderful. This is a perfect crowd pleaser for the Holidays.

  • Classic Chocolate Bûche de Noël

    by Audrey

    In France, a proper Christmas dinner wouldn’t be complete without the traditional Bûche de Noël. This wooden log look-a-like cake, traditionally made of a rolled-up Génoise cake frosted with Chocolate buttercream, is part of the official conclusion to a Christmas feast. A holiday ritual no one will pass on – even with an overfilled belly. 

  • Plum Moelleux Cake

    by Audrey

    This Plum Moelleux Cake recipe was destined to be shared quickly on my Instagram… But following the success of it, I decided to share it on the blog as well, so no one misses out on the goodness! A “moelleux” is a French cake made with the simplest of ingredients and a generous amount of butter, for a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The crumb is rich and a little dense, which makes it the perfect vessel for ripe Summer fruits likes blueberries, apricots and plums. I make this recipe with apricots every Summer, …

  • Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Loaf

    by Audrey

    I do love a good French yogurt cake during any season. And today’s late Summer version includes ripe seasonal blueberries paired with the tang of fresh lemons. It’s moist, zesty and has just the right amount of fresh ripe blueberries. As with most French yogurt cakes, this Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Loaf is an easy and foolproof recipe to make at home. The small trick here is to lightly toss the blueberries in flour so they don’t sink to the bottom of the pan while baking. This ensures the blueberries are …

  • Blueberry Almond Financiers

    by Audrey

    A lightly crisp top, a moist center and a subtle nuttiness are what make Financiers a French favorite! These little cakes made of ground almonds with beurre-noisette and fluffy egg whites are a staple of the French baking repertoire – and for very good reasons. They’re quick and easy to make, and adaptable to any season or fixings. With fresh blueberries and crisp almond shavings, these Blueberry Almond Financiers are one of my favorite Summer twists on these marvelous little cakes.

  • Raspberry Jam Swiss Roll

    by Audrey

    We’re back in the kitchen today with a childhood classic – the Raspberry Jam Swiss Roll! Known in French as “Roulé à la Framboise”, this nostalgic treat certainly brings a lot of people back to their childhood. Personally, it reminds me of being a kid in France and enjoying countless swirly slices if it during the “goûter” (after-school snack time). This soft and spongy Génoise cake, covered with sticky sweet raspberry jam and rolled into a pretty swirl is eye-catching, absolutely delicious – and good news, far easier to make than …

  • Lemon Poppy Seed French Yogurt Loaf

    by Audrey

    I bid a final farewell to citrus season in the form of this simple Lemon Poppy Seed French Yogurt Loaf, drenched in a honey lemon syrup. It tastes deliciously moist, fluffy and zesty. And like any other French yogurt cake, it is a foolproof and ridiculously simple recipe to make.   If you’ve been following this blog for a bit, you know of my love for French yogurt cakes. Last winter, I had shared a recipe for a classic Orange Yogurt Cake (still to this day, one of the most …

  • French Bakery Beignets

    by Audrey

    Unfussy, sugary and fried. French Bakery Beignets are nothing like what you’d expect from French pastries, yet they are quintessentially French. These plump buttery pillows rolled in sugar and filled with jams are found on most bakery stalls in France and are kids’ favorites at the time of the “goûter” ( mid-afternoon snack). They are also very popular during street fairs and carnivals across the country. And like most French, I often cave in to the temptation of grabbing one whenever I hit a street festival in France.

Pardon your French

Let’s bring French flavors to your kitchen! I share uncomplicated and classic recipes, lesser-known regional dishes and a few modern takes. Making French cooking easy, approachable and cliché-free is my priority.

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