Nantes cake, my calming recipe when I need to breathe
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At LaBouffe, I am not looking to make things complicated or put pressure on myself. I cook the way I live: at my own pace, with simple gestures, and with the idea that a meal can do me good without exhausting me. When I come back from a walk, or when I pause an episode of a series to take a real break, I often return to a recipe that feels like me—unassuming yet generous: Nantes cake. I love it because it comes from Nantes, in the Pays de la Loire region, and because it has that quiet elegance I understand so well. It may not look impressive at first glance, but it has character, tenderness, and that little hint of rum that lingers on the palate. To me, it is exactly the kind of dessert that speaks of pleasure without being forceful. To make it, I use 125 g of semi-salted butter, 125 g of sugar, 125 g of ground almonds, 40 g of flour, 3 eggs, 2 tablespoons of rum and, if I feel like it, a little lemon zest. I first cream the butter with the sugar, then add the eggs one at a time, followed by the ground almonds, flour and rum; I mix just enough to obtain a smooth, soft batter, without overworking it. I pour it into a buttered and floured tin, then bake it for about thirty minutes at 170°C, until the top takes on a lovely golden colour. Once the cake has cooled, I make a glaze with icing sugar and a little rum, and gently coat it. I then let it rest, because I know Nantes cake tastes even better the next day. It is a recipe that suits me well: it calls for care, not tension, and gives me time to breathe while telling a little piece of the Pays de la Loire story. I can cut myself a small slice after a simple dinner, or save it for a quieter moment, when I need a little sweetness without overdoing it.
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Where: Pays de la Loire