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.
62 K 4.2/5 (6 reviews)
20 min.
Easy
1.25 €
510 g
7 IngredientsLast modified on: September 7th 2025
For 510 g, you will need:
- 1
40 g butter - 2
120 g egg ( How to... ) - 3
150 g caster sugar - 4
80 g cream - 5
120 g flour - 6
3 g baking powder - 7
2 g salt - Total weight: 515 grams
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 40 g 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 80 g 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
How much will it cost?
- For 510 g : 1.25 €
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.
49 K 1 hour 55 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Sugar syrup, Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream), Tatin apples with mascarpone cream, Moist chocolate cake, Oatmeal cake, ... See them all 364
Flour
Like these other recipes: Special small breads, Chocolate almond cookies, Langoustine sabayon tart, Pistachio madeleines, Cheese Soufflé, ... See them all 206
Egg
Like these other recipes: Fish Mousselines, Toffee apple upside-down cake, How to cook hard-boiled eggs properly , Savoury mini-madeleines with 2 cheeses, Cookies of the Camisards, ... See them all 242
Cream
Like these other recipes: Leopard cake, Nicholas's fish, Green bean purée, Cottage cheese tart, Cassoulet-style shepherd's pie., ... See them all 120
Other recipes you may also like
Poached eggs
Poached eggs are cooked, without the shell, in barely simmering (nearly boiling) water. White should be firm and yolk soft, that's the difficulty. This recipe teaches you how to succeed with three important points. January 8th 2013328 K5 2 hours 40 min.
Brioche dough
It's a soft and rich dough, with butter and eggs which give a smooth and incredibly tasty brioche. This is the basic recipe for brioche dough, used for all other brioche-based recipes on the site. September 16th 2020545 K 44.2 14 hours 30 min.
Vanilla sugar
Almost essential in patisserie, you can find it in expensive little sachets of about 10g. It's necessary to distinguish between the vanilla sugar which really contains vanilla, and vanillin sugar, purely chemical which has never seen a vanilla pod. Here is how to quickly make a whole jar full of your own vanilla sugar. August 12th 2018439 K 15 30 min.
Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream)
Quite similar to crème anglaise but much thicker. It is used in many pastries like choux pastry (pâte à choux) or millefeuille. January 27th 2017778 K 313.8 40 min.
Blackcurrant liqueur
The fruit liqueurs (or "creams" in French) are a mix of neutral alcohol in which fruits are macerated, and sugar syrup. They are the basis of the very famous "Kir", mixture of dry white wine and blackcurrant liqueur. This recipe is for blackcurrant, but it can be made with other soft fruits like raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc. August 3rd 2013877 K 44.7 55 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-11-09)
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.