Basic cake batter - the French way
The cake is one of the classic cakes of the pastry world (The frenchs call them "journey cake"), and there are many ways to make it.
Here's a new basic recipe for its dough, into which you can then add the flavors (pistachio, lemon, chocolate, etc.) and ingredients (dried fruit, fresh fruit, etc.) of your choice.
Here's a new basic recipe for its dough, into which you can then add the flavors (pistachio, lemon, chocolate, etc.) and ingredients (dried fruit, fresh fruit, etc.) of your choice.
58 K 4.2/5 (6 reviews)
20 min.
Easy
255 g
7 IngredientsLast modified on: September 7th 2025
For 255 g, you will need:
- 1
1 ½ tablespoon butter - 2
1⁄3 cup egg ( How to... ) - 3
1⁄3 cup caster sugar - 4
3 tablespoons cream - 5
½ cup flour - 6
½ teaspoon baking powder - 7
¼ teaspoon salt
Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 10 min.
Cooking: 7 min.
All in all: 20 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 7 min.
Melt 1 ½ tablespoon butter in a small pan on low heat.
Bring to the boil, then wait until it stops boiling and begins to give off a nutty smell (you have just made noisette butter).
Take off the heat and leave to cool until just warm.
Bring to the boil, then wait until it stops boiling and begins to give off a nutty smell (you have just made noisette butter).
Take off the heat and leave to cool until just warm.
Stage 2 - 2 min.
Stage 3 - 1 min.
Add 3 tablespoons cream...
Stage 4 - 1 min.
...and mix again.
Stage 5 - 2 min.
Stage 6 - 1 min.
Mix again.
Stage 7 - 2 min.
Pour the warm noisette butter into the mixture through a fine strainer.
Stage 8 - 1 min.
Mix one last time.
Stage 9
Your cake batter is ready.
You can now add your chosen flavourings (chocolate, pistachio, lemon...), or leave it plain, before pouring it into the tins or moulds.
You can now add your chosen flavourings (chocolate, pistachio, lemon...), or leave it plain, before pouring it into the tins or moulds.
Stage 10
If you want to make a plain cake straight away, pour the dough into a mold and bake for about 40 minutes at 390°F (200°C).
Note: As always with cakes, if you want a nice opening on top when baking, try this very effective trick.
Note: As always with cakes, if you want a nice opening on top when baking, try this very effective trick.
Remarks
If you are using salted butter, omit the salt.
For a plain cake, you can use replace half an ounce (10 g) of the sugar with vanilla sugar.
For a plain cake, you can use replace half an ounce (10 g) of the sugar with vanilla sugar.
Keeping: Should be used the same day.
Source: Based on a recipe by Christophe Michalak.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 10 RDI=5 % | 120 RDI=10 % | 40 RDI=5 % | 860 RDI=40 % | 3,620 RDI: 40 % |
| Per 100 g | 5 RDI=2 % | 50 RDI=4 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 340 RDI=20 % | 1,410 RDI: 20 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 255 g : 0.65 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipe
Pistachio cake
Here's a loaf-style cake made with a classic batter, flavoured with pistachio (of course), and with a crunchy "macaronade" topping.
46 K 1 hour 55 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Almond tuiles, Doughnuts, Valay-Brest, Chestnut cake, Vanilla sugar, ... See them all 361
Flour
Like these other recipes: Old style brioche, Galette Charentaise, Cannelés, Pink Reims biscuits, Hollandaise sauce, ... See them all 204
Egg
Like these other recipes: Nanou's chocolate cake, Naan, How to fry eggs well, Eggs in tomato shells, Half-cooked chocolate cake with raspberry coulis, ... See them all 238
Cream
Like these other recipes: Maple syrup cream sugar, Mini cheese and mustard toasts, Eggs Arsène, Chocolate cream with a crunch, irish coffee mousse, Caesar salad, ... See them all 117
Other recipes you may also like
Almond cream
Light and delicious, it is used in a lot of desserts like tarts, cakes and pies (epiphany galette). August 31th 2025476 K 25 20 min.
French croissants
In this famous and highly technical recipe from a piece of yeast-based flaky dough we are going to cut and shape ("roll") croissants. June 26th 2019642 K 24.4 2 hours 35 min.
Soft fruits in sabayon
This recipe is made by briefly cooking an assortment of soft fruits (raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, blueberries, currants...) with a little sugar to glaze them. They are served in a small dish, covered with a delicious sabayon which can be lightly "burned" on surface. February 21th 2011275 K3.9 50 min.
Macarons (the original French macaroons)
This recipe really is "of the moment": the success of these small, highly-coloured cakes, in an infinite variety of flavours, is impressive. It's a recipe which needs some care, in order to produce a result worthy of a professional pastrychef. No problem, I will guide you through the recipe, particularly the tricky parts. This variety of flavours means that I test many alternatives, so don't be surprised if in the pictures the colour of the macarons changes, I used the best photograph available... October 3rd 20191.61 M 714.6 2 hours 40 min.
Parcels of fish fillet in spinach
These parcels are made with small pieces of fish fillet, wrapped in a blanched spinach leaf and lightly fried in butter. They can be served with a salted white wine sabayon (as in the recipe of scallops with crunchy vegetables), a beurre blanc, a dash of olive oil with... March 18th 2013249 K4.8 2 hours 25 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-09-21)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.