Quatre-quarts
Pound cake
Quatre-quarts: Breton pound cake of equal quarters with salted butter
The quatre-quarts, "four quarters", is the butter cake of Brittany, made with equal weights of eggs, salted butter, sugar and flour, eaten in slices at goûter or with coffee, and sold wrapped in every Breton bakery. Weighing the eggs first and matching the rest to them is the old way. The common mistake is using cold butter, which will not cream. Chef's tip: whisk the yolks and sugar first, then fold in the whites at the end; it gives a lighter crumb.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 4 eggsabout 240 g, separated
- 8 ½ oz salted buttermelted and cooled
- 8 ½ oz caster sugar
- 8 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
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Method
0/3 doneStep 2: Whisk the egg yolks with the 8 ½ oz caster sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract until pale, then whisk in the 8 ½ oz salted butter. Fold in the 8 ½ oz plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder. Whisk the whites to firm peaks and fold in gently.
10 minStep 3: Pour into the tin and bake for 40–45 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool on a rack; it slices better the next day.
45 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does quatre-quarts take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of salted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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