Gourmet Delight
Cakes of the World
No celebration in any part of the world in complete without slicing the knife through the thick yummy layers of dough and cream – adding a dash of ‘ sweetness ’ to the revelry . Cakes , like many other food items , vary from region to region , changing its look , feel and taste according to the ingredients available and food habits of that place . So here ’ s a look at 10 types of traditional cakes found across the globe …
Gastronomy is an art and just like fashion or music , it too varies tremendously from one country or region to another . These differences exist primarily in the type of ingredients available in each area , and tastes developed throughout the centuries of eating certain kind of flavours . Here ’ s a look at some of the traditional cakes found in other countries .
GALETTE DES ROIS ( France )
Called Galette Des Rois in French and ‘ King ´ s Cake ’ in English , traditionally , this cake is eaten after Christmas , during the first week of January – at Epiphany , on 6 January . It celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem . However , lately it has become so popular that many bakeries sell it during the whole month . Essentially this cake is made of layers of buttery puff pastry topped with powder sugar , which wrap around rich almond cream . Once everything has been prepared , it is baked until the outer layer acquires a toasted look . It is usually filled with frangipane , a cream made from sweet almonds , butter , eggs and sugar . But more gourmet versions are available for us to enjoy , with chocolate , apple or candied fruits .
BLACK FOREST CHERRY CAKE ( Germany )
This type of cake is very traditional from the south-east of Germany , i . e ., the Black
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Forest region . Although it is widely believed that the original form of this type of cake comes from Switzerland , Germans have perfected it and made it as famous as it is nowadays . The cake itself is made of a few layers of chocolate cake separated by cherries and topped by whipped cream , chocolate shavings and some more cherries for decorative purposes . The Black Forest Cake is not named after the Black Forest region of Germany but rather one of the ingredients in the cake . Schwarzwälderkirschtorte in German means Black Forest Cherry Torte or Gateau . The cake consists of multiple layers of chocolate sponge cake , cherries , and whipped cream . The name comes from the liquor Kirschwasser , that is used both to soak the sponge cake and infused in the whipped cream . This brings a rich moist flavouring to the cake .
PANETTONE ( Italy )
The Panettone is a traditional Italian sweet bread loaf from the north of Italy . Despite having a very similar texture to bread , it is considered as a dessert cake , which is eaten at Christmas and on New Year ’ s Eve . The baking of panettone dates back to the Middle Ages , but its origin is the stuff of legend . The name is believed to be a shortened form of pane di Tonio ( Tonio ’ s bread ), from the story of a poor Milanese baker who invented the loaf as a dowry for his daughter after she fell in love with a nobleman . Others suggest Tonio worked for a court chef – who , with no dessert to offer at Christmas , devised a bake with all the ingredients he had available . Inside the Panettone one would find several types of candied fruits , as well as raisins . Usually the Panettone is served with sweet liqueurs
Mawa Cake
Vetkoek “ Fat Cake
28 destination exotica | february 2017