Gâteau de Savoie aux pralines roses

For someone living so close to the Savoie region, it would be unforgivable not to know how to bake Gâteau de Savoie. A fairly simple sponge cake that asks for no specific ingredients. Yet, in its simplicity, it is purely wonderful. Light, airy, and moist. For an extra touch, I got inspired by my local pâtisserie Alma to add some pralines roses. You can omit them adding nothing or maybe even some classical pralines.

3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
vanilla powder
90 g golden caster sugar
30 ml boiling water
rose water to taste
a pinch of sea salt
a pinch of cream of tartar
80 g all-purpose flour (T65 in France) [ieliku 90
120 g praline rose, finely crushed

butter and additional powdered sugar for preparing the pan


Butter a 20 cm bundt cake pan. Dust with powdered sugar and then discard any excess. Preheat the oven 150º C hot.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the egg yolks and vanilla with the sugar until thick and lightened in colour, for about 5 minutes. With the mixer running on high speed, dribble in the water, a few teaspoons at a time, finishing with rose water. The eggs will be much more liquid, so continue to whisk until the mixture thickens and feels like a thick sour cream (4-5 minutes).

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until they hold stiff peaks.

When the eggs are done, sift in the flour and fold into the yolks. At the end, add pralines and continue folding until incorporated. Be gentle. Add 1/2 of the egg whites and fold in until incorporated. Add the rest and fold in again. Just until folded, no longer.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Maybe a few scraps from the pralines.

Remove from the oven and right away turn the cake out onto a wire cooling rack. Cool completely and only then slice. It tastes the best the day it is made, but if you have some leftovers, place in a tin.