This says it all. Gâteau Basque, this week’s FFWD recipe choice, is almost too good to be true.
Odds are you have the ingredients for Gâteau Basque in your kitchen. No need for a grocery run nor special equipment. It’s an effortless preparation. The frosting on this cake (whoops, there is no frosting on this cake) is that in France, there’s even a museum dedicated to it. Hoity-toity. Something to work into the conversation as dessert is served.
This week’s French Friday’s recipe is Gâteau Basque, the traditional dessert of the French Basque region. Although it might look like a torte, galette or monster cookie, the people of this region call it cake. It’s exactly what I needed yesterday to regain my status as super-duper resident of The Gant, the 144-condo complex where I live.
Gâteau Basque, fresh from the oven. Smokey Bear shared his birthday candles with me.
Wednesday, our local Whole Foods Market in El Jebel joined with the Forest Conservancy to celebrate Smokey Bear’s 70th Birthday. Everyone would have the opportunity to see Smokey, take photos and share his birthday cake. Five percent of the WF’s proceeds that day would go to the Conservancy. Our organization hums along on a lean budget so we were psyched. So was Smokey.
When I left The Gant early Wednesday morning I promised everyone at the front office to bring back some of Smokey’s birthday cake. What was I thinking? I returned home Wednesday night only with Smokey’s birthday candles. Not good.
Choose any filling you wish for the Gâteau Basque, even vanilla pastry cream. I used wild Swedish Lingonberries.
Gâteau Basque to the rescue. I poured myself an extra-tall Gin & Tonic (it had been a verrry long day) and put together the batter: flour, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar, brown and white, eggs and vanilla extract. After dividing the dough in half, I rolled out two 8-inch disks. Since the dough is sticky, Dorie suggests placing each disk between wax paper before the roll. Refrigerate, wax paper included, for at least 3 hours. I went to bed so it was an overnight.
The next day I laid one disk in a buttered 8-inch cake pan and dressed it with wild Swedish Lingonberries, leaving 1” inch of dough bare around the border. After moistening the bare ring with water, I put the second disk on top, sealed them together and brushed with an egg glaze before making the crosshatch pattern. Forty-five minutes in a 350 degrees oven-later, you’ve got a museum-quality cake.
Dorie Greenspan’s Gâteau Basque (photo by Dorie Greenspan)
After placing Smokey’s birthday candles on the Gâteau Basque and slicing a teeny-weeny piece for myself, I carried it to the front office. I handed it off to Lucas and heard a muffled whooping and hollering as he carried it to the back room. I understand it was ‘devoured’. Mark, who returned my plate, said, “It’s something you’d expect from a fancy bakery. And you can quote me on that.”
So, I did.
Smokey Bear’s 70th birthday cake made by Whole Foods in their bakery. Note the candles.
I not only maintained my stature at The Gant but can also report on Smokey’s successful celebration. We fattened our depleted coffers by $3,984. What made the day especially great was watching the public respond to the Big Guy. The kids were excited and had a ball but the adults went all silly in the greatest of ways.
According to the Ad Council, 96 percent of the U.S. adult population recognize Smokey Bear and 70 percent are able to recall his tagline without any prompting. Our Smokey posed for hundreds of pictures, had gestures-only conversations, held babies and strolled through WF’s so each employee shift could have photo-ops. It was a Mom-and-Apple Pie day as you can see from these photos.
Donna Chase and I helped Smokey organize this event. Bright-eyed and furry-tailed in the AM. By 6pm, we all had flagged a bit.
What’s more fun than adults being silly. This was Smokey’s first photo op. Note the kids waiting patiently in the back.
The local fire guys are helping Smokey Bear remind everyone, “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires.”
It’s late. We’re a bit silly ourselves but Donna Grauer never loses her joie de vivre. . Betsy Dunbar not only shopped but also brought us snacks. We all forgot lunch!
French Fridays with Dorie is an international group cooking its way through Dorie Greenspan’s, Around My French Table. If you want to try today’s recipe, go here. To see what my colleagues baked this week, go here.
I guess you are an expert now in making this cake. That was sweet of you to put it together for the staff. Love your photos of you and your beau.
This cake sounds amazing Mary. I can see why they devoured it. I would too. You are so sweet to make this a second time. I know they loved it and you are a hero!
Happy Birthday Smokey. I am looking forward to making this one again.
You know that Smokey holds a special spot in my heart – can’t see him with out thinking of my Uncle Bob (today is the one year anniversary of his passing). Any one who takes care of Smokey is a good egg in my book 😉
I am pretty darn sure that you will always be The Gant’s #1 resident. XO
Happy Birthday Smokey! I’m glad your fundraiser was so successful! This cake is indeed museum-quality. It’s my new favorite too.
I loved following all your photos on FB! We girls used to always sing the Smokey the Bear song when we were hiking….howling and a prowling and a sniffin’ the air…. Lucky guy to get a birthday cake. And nice Mary to make it twice!!
Mary – will you be at IFBC? I just noticed your badge! I can’t wait to meet you in person 🙂
I love how you used the ligonberries with this, and all the great photos of Smokey the Bear.
That looks beautiful, Mary, and perfect for a celebration! Love the 70th birthday campaign for Smokey the Bear. I remember seeing Smokey the Bear commercials about forest safety when I was a kid, on the American television channel that transmitted across the border.
My dough is chilling in the fridge and I’ve got some of my Mom’s homemade cherry jam waiting to fill it. I have one heck of a catch up post in the offing…
happy birthday to Smokey! I love lingonberry jam–that must have been so good in this!
LOL Mary, it looks like you have had a full day of fun!! I’m sure that G&T was well-deserved! (one of my fave cocktails btw…!) I hope you never leave The Gant, as there many be a trail of tears as you leave …. my neighbors in England report that with every new neighbor that moves into “our” new place, they dont ever bring over loads of baked goods so they’ll never measure up – hehe! : )
Smokey has a fond place in my childhood memories – we did a big Smokey the Bear campaign through my elementary school every year and he always came to visit -one of the best school days of the year! Love all the work you do with him and for the forest service! You are just as busy as me too!!
Yayyy GB to the rescue! And HHBD2U Smokey! This was good! Great post as usual.
First: Love your blog title!!
Second: The gateau looks perfect. Lingonberry jam sounds delicous.
I have to say I agree, this is something that can be made with things on hand, and easily enough, for such an amazing presentation. Lingonberries? I actually thought of that, since I had some in my refrigerator, though I went with some home made strawberry jam. I assume from the reaction, the lingonberries were a hit.
And Smokey – as you know, I have a soft place in my heart for him. With all of the wildfires out west (and in my beloved Oak Creek Canyon) this summer, I wish he was on TV some more. I’m afraid some of those that don’t know him still visit our forests and campgrounds. I’m happy he was given the celebration he deserves!!
As I tried to post yesterday but failed apparently, this is a great story. Smoky and the FC team, the birthday cake(s) and all the joie de vivre. Love it. I especially love the firemen photo with Smokey. What a brave group of hunks! It is amazing how you get grown macho men to be silly for you. Only you….
Hugs TTR.
PS…I remember the Ligonberry from the B&B in Abilene Kansas. Great memories.
What a fab cake for Smokey’s birthday! I understand why it was devoured. Yep, I think any jam would be good in this.
What a fun birthday party! It is so fun to watch adults getting excited about taking pictures with smokey. Your condo building is so lucky to have you. I’m sure your cake tasted much better than smokey’s.
Happy Birthday, Smokey! I remember him from when I was a kid. Looks like he’s aging well. Perfect timing for your cake. I loved the simplicity of this one as well.
Mary, what a fabulous Birthday Cake for Smokey (although we do not live in the States, we know about that bear and the campaign/worthy cause that he stands for) – I love the idea of adding the 70. th Birthday candles to a Gâteau Basque – the staff at The Gant must have been thrilled! Lingonberry jam sounds quite delightful as a filling for this nice cookie-like cake too!
More “liebe Grüsse”,
Andrea
This was such a fun post. And one heck of a cake. You had me half chuckling, half horrified that you promised Smokey’s cake- dangerous indeed. Glad you leveraged Dorie’s (and France’s) wonder Gateau as a pay back. And those reactions – the hooting and the “you can quote me” – priceless. For the record, any recipe that allows a hearty G&T to be consumed during prep is already 2 thumbs up in my book. Fabulous recap of that special birthday for Smokey. Love that Bear. WF did wonderfully and that birthday cake did look amazing. Just not as good as the gateau…..