How to French a Cake

I baked a gluten free carrot and almond cake late last week. Nutmeg and cinnamon aromas swirled around my kitchen as it baked and twice I had to prevent myself from opening the oven too soon because it smelled so yummy.

Fast forward a day or two and gluten free cakes can begin to lose their freshness. When it's just the two of us here, it can be a marathon effort to get through everything that I bake. It's not just that I love sweets, but that I love to prepare all kinds of treats for the joy baking brings me.

The gentle shh-shh-shh as I sift my gluten flours into a deep bowl, the crack of eggshells, the sizzle of a block of bubbling butter in a hot skillet, the satisfaction and work out I used to get from hand beating egg whites with a piano wire whisk until they formed peaks of pearly white glossy meringue. So that last one may have been updated since Santa my mother gifted us with a beautiful Empire Red KitchenAid this Christmas (grinning merrily as I type this). Never fear, I still exercise regularly!

I love the aromas of whatever muffin, cookie, cake, tart or other gluten free treasure I am baking in my small oven. I love the anticipation I feel when my oven timer buzzes, signally my tall frame to stoop down low, open my oven door and gaze inside to pull out said baked treasure using my Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse oven mitt covered hands. The oven mitts were a gift from my mother from our trip to Disneyland in Anaheim when I was 11 years old, talk about a perfect gift!

I love the sense of pride I feel when glazing a cake with zesty citrus drizzle or dusting a tea cake with cinnamon sugar.

But of all the things I love about baking, the things that tops my list is sharing it with friends and family.

What really irks me is having excess that may go to waste. When my gluten free carrot and almond cake began to lose it's magic, I decided to French it.

I woke up early, slipped into my cotton gown (the light summery blue one with the tropical parrots that Mum used to wear when I was barely tall enough to reach her hips) and floated downstairs where I calmly took out my long shiny, sharp kitchen knife and butchered my poor cake.

French Cake

1-2 day old cake that has lost it's freshness (the whole thing or whatever is leftover)
2 large free range eggs
3 Tbs milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Olive oil (be generous)
2 small, sweet bananas
Maple syrup to drizzle

Cut your cake into large rectangular chunks, as thick as cafe style toast slices. Beat the eggs, milk, and spices into a wide-bottom bowl until the eggs have broken up, do not over beat.

Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat. Don't be modest, the oil is the key to enjoying this recipe and you have the entire day to exercise after breakfast. Breakfast is a Guilt-Free zone!

Press the cake chunks into the eggy mixture, allowing each piece to soak up some of the liquid but taking care not to break up the cake pieces. Slide each chunk into your pan and listen as it bubbles and hisses. Delicious. Turn the cake over once the eggy mixture has turned slightly golden and cook the other side, taking care not to burn it.

Serve with slices of fresh banana and a drizzle of maple syrup. Savour the last of your cake, which by now is revived à la French Toast style and ready to be devoured.

That's how you French a cake.

Bella xx

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