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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.
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Keywords for this post:PastryLexiconCakesTravelExplanationsLast modified on: January 27th 2025
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.
Characteristics of a travel cake :
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:
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:
- All cakes: chestnut, clementine, chocolate, hazelnut and orange, ...
- Roasted almond cake
- Oatmeal walnut cake
- Leopard cake
- Gingerbread
- And many more...
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.
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