Philosophizing About Food With Francine: Strawberry Cream Gateau

by Francine Black

Growing up, the gateau was actually the only cake we knew. It’s a wonderful French sponge cake made of flour, eggs, sugar and a scant tablespoon of butter.

There are many other delicious types of cakes, of course.

The Austrian-Hungarian torte, a layer cake often filled with jam, uses less flour, replacing it with ground nuts or breadcrumbs. The “birthday cake” so beloved in the USA, a sweet treat rich with decadently flavored and colored frosting, needs no introduction. It is quite the centerpiece whether chocolate, vanilla, red velvet or exotically flavored.

Meanwhile, the ultra-rich “pound cakes” with their one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour, became an American icon with the advent of the Bundt pan. There are certainly occasions when we enjoy all of these treats.

For me, I find the classic French gateau especially nice during the warm months. My mother would fill the inner layer with a raspberry jam loosened a bit with Framboise and then frost it with a chocolate buttercream. The incredible flavor and texture of that gateau still lingers.

As the gateau is quite simple, it makes a great foil for elaborate fillings of buttercream, jam, liquor, custard, and fresh fruits.

Today’s strawberry cream gateau is both filled and smothered with a barely sweetened whipped cream loaded with the most fragrant fresh crushed strawberries from my son’s garden. Given a few hours rest, the moisture from the filling begins to soak into the layers of the gateau creating an incredibly moist and delicious mouthful.

Enjoy the weekend, dear friends!

High in the mountains above Bally, where the dense groves of treetops seem to touch the sky, is Francine Black, Boyertown’s own version of chef Julia Child. Her daily activities reflect the things she most values: family and friends, music, and lovingly prepared food.

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