Travel cakes


Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.
3,827
Grade this page:
Keywords for this post:PastryLexiconCakesTravelExplanations
Last modified on: January 27th 2025
For this post: Comment Follow Send to a friend
Travel cakes

Where does the name come from?

Historically, these cakes were made to accompany long journeys, often by boat, train or stagecoach. The aim was to create a cake that was not fragile, that could withstand a little shaking, and that kept well, at least for several days, and didn't need to be put in the fridge.

Madame de Sévigné

A pretty legend attributes the invention of the term "travel cake" to Mme De Sévigné in the 17th century in a letter to her daughter, but it's more a modern invention, stemming from contemporary patisserie, popularized notably by chefs like Pierre Hermé and Christophe Michalak.

Characteristics of a travel cake :

Travel boats

To meet all these requirements, travel cakes have certain compositional imperatives:

  • They contain no cream (in the sense of crème pâtissière or chantilly, for example), nor fresh fruit, which would not last the desired several days.
  • They often have a dense or fluffy texture that enables them to remain pleasant without drying out quickly.
  • They generally contain a low water content to limit the risk of mold and extend their shelf life.
  • They are often simple in shape, typically cake-shaped, rectangular and elongated.


Classic ingredients:


Basic ingredients for a travel cake

Travel cake recipes are generally quite simple, using classic ingredients:

  • butter, sugar, eggs, flour
  • Sometimes enriched with dried fruit (almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios), candied fruit or spices.
  • Some recipes include alcohol, such as rum or Grand Marnier, for added flavor and preservation.


Some examples of travel cakes:



In a nutshell: "Gâteau de voyage" is a lovely French gastronomic term, referring to long-lasting, easy-to-carry cakes that you can take with you on a trip.

Lasts posts
Always secure your cutting board
Always secure your cutting board
When using a cutting board, it's very important that it's stable and doesn't move while you're cutting, for safety's sake. Boards have a natural tendency to slide on the work surface, but here are 2 ways to block them effectively.
July 1st 20254755
Cherry clafoutis, with or without pits?
Cherry clafoutis, with or without pits?
When it comes to cherry clafoutis recipes, there's often a camp of those who argue that you absolutely have to leave the stones in because it tastes better, and the other camp (myself included) who prefer cherries without stones, which makes a much more pleasant clafoutis to eat. But is it true...
June 29th 20256665
Should potatoes be washed twice?
Should potatoes be washed twice?
Let's say you have to make a recipe that includes potatoes, let's say sliced, you'll most likely proceed as follows: Peel the potatoes, wash them, slice them, wash them again, pat them dry and add them to your recipe. But there's a "but": depending on the recipe, the second washing may be a bad...
May 19th 20252,269 15
Grilled bacon is much better in the oven
Grilled bacon is much better in the oven
Some recipes call for thin slices of bacon to be cooked and added to the recipe, or to prepare one of those delicious breakfasts known as "à l'Anglaise".
April 25th 20252,0395
The thermometer is your friend
The thermometer is your friend
There are many recipes or foods that require a (very) precise cooking temperature: foie gras, sugar for caramel, meats and fish, and not forgetting pastries. For these few examples, getting the cooking temperature wrong can spoil the whole recipe or dish: undercooked, it's no good or misses the...
April 10th 20252,3615

Other pages you may also like
Cherry clafoutis, with or without pits?
Cherry clafoutis, with or without pits?
When it comes to cherry clafoutis recipes, there's often a camp of those who argue that you absolutely have to leave the stones in because it tastes better, and the other camp (myself included) who prefer cherries without stones, which makes a much more pleasant clafoutis to eat. But is it true...
June 29th 20256665
The so-called "nervous" meats
The so-called "nervous" meats
You've probably heard this before, we're talking about "nervous" meat, or meat with nerves, to describe what is indicated by the blue arrow on the left. This is a piece of beef, and what we call a nerve is not a nerve, it is in fact collagen (chemists sometimes call it a "collagen sink"), a...
April 16th 202131 K4.5
The right size of zucchini
The right size of zucchini
When you buy zucchini at the market, you're often offered a wide variety of sizes, from very small to very large. But which ones to choose? Here are a few tips.
September 9th 20246,6315
The thermometer is your friend
The thermometer is your friend
There are many recipes or foods that require a (very) precise cooking temperature: foie gras, sugar for caramel, meats and fish, and not forgetting pastries. For these few examples, getting the cooking temperature wrong can spoil the whole recipe or dish: undercooked, it's no good or misses the...
April 10th 20252,3615
The art of the charlotte
The art of the charlotte
In cooking, a charlotte is a delicious moulded dessert, with biscuits around the outside that have been soaked in a flavoured syrup, filled with a light cream or mousse. The charlotte is left to set in the fridge before being turned out and served in slices. It is very light and a lovely sweet...
February 27th 201341 K4.3
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing

Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
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.

Back to top of page