cake

After a wet summer, we’ve had an amazing Autumn here in Niagara (or should I say “Indian Summer”?). The weather has been unseasonably and delightfully warm and dry all throughout the middle and end of October. With this warm spell, grape harvest is still in full swing in our local vineyards. And this year’s grapes are full, rich and heavy. So, in celebration of this glorious season, I am sharing with you an old-school recipe that couldn’t be a better fit for this situation: a Grape Harvest Cake, from Moissac, …

The classic French Apple Cake gets a twist with the use of spelt flour; adding nutty notes to its signature buttery crumb filled with big apple clusters. Like in many countries through Fall and Winter, the apple cake is a classic in households. Of all, the French version is probably one the most unpretentious and bare. With no use of cinnamon like in America, nor crumble top, nuts or glaze. A cake reminiscent of the German Versunkener Apfelken or the Russian Sharlotka, both made in similar ways, with more fruit …

The love of the French for “tatins” no longer needs to be proven.  These classic French upside-down cakes or pies are traditionally made with apples, but you can embrace the season by using other fruits: peach, blueberry or pineapple, or vegetables: endives, carrots or tomatoes. This simple Rhubarb Tatin Cake embraces the late-spring/early summer season and offers a great way to showcase this perennial vegetable (yes, rhubarb is a vegetable!). The cake is simple and light, with small hints of vanilla and lemon, subtle enough to let the rhubarb shine …