Gateau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes (A Cookbook) (Essential Parisian Recipes)

James Beard Award–winning writer Aleksandra Crapanzano shares the secrets of the cakes Parisians bake at home, from the simplest yogurt cakes to a deceptively easy bûche de Noël, from yuzu madeleines to boozy flourless chocolate confections.

When we think of French desserts, we tend to imagine ornate creations and confections. Perhaps we envision a tarte Tatin, but rarely a homemade cake, whipped up on a weeknight with little fuss. But that is exactly what Parisians make and eat. Gâteaux are simple, delicious French cakes, both sweet and savory, served to family and friends.

As food columnist Aleksandra Crapanzano spent time in Parisian home kitchens, she realized that the real magic is a certain savoir-faire—that distinctly French know-how that blends style and practicality in every aspect of life. By and large, the French do not try to compete with their chefs or their boulangères and pâtissières. But many Parisians are natural cooks, and most finish dinner with a little something sweet, effortlessly made and casually served.

The trick is having an arsenal of cake recipes that, once mastered, become blueprints, allowing for seasonal variations and easy improvisation based on what’s in the cupboard. It is a practical approach, and the French are nothing if not practical. That is the savoir-faire—from tying a silk scarf just so to popping a gâteau in the oven without anyone even noticing. When you know what you’re doing, there’s no need to overthink it. It looks easy because it is easy.

While the Paris culinary world is experiencing a fresh vibrancy, certain traditions remain intact yet may surprise in their modernity. For example, French cakes have less sugar. The pure taste of apples is not masked by cinnamon, and vanilla is never a given. A cake may be lightly glazed, dusted with cocoa or confectioners’ sugar, drizzled with rose water, but rarely heavily iced. A splash of brandy, a squeeze of lemon, or a thin blanket of ganache elevates even the easiest of cakes in mere minutes.

And then there are savory cakes, or cakes salés, made with cheese, herbs, or ham, baked into a delicious loaf. These are ideal for picnic lunches, accompanied by a salad and a glass of Sancerre.

Gâteau includes cakes for birthdays, summer feasts and winter holidays, last-minute dinner parties and school lunches, as well as beloved regional recipes and guest contributions from superstar Parisian bakers like Poilâne and Pierre Hermé.

Practical, charming, and filled with over 100 rigorously tested recipes and lovely illustrations, Gâteau celebrates the everyday and sometimes fanciful cakes of France—perfect for home bakers, Francophiles, and anyone who believes that elegant baking should be both accessible and joyful.

Aleksandra Crapanzano received the M.F.K. Fisher for Distinguished Writing from the James Beard Foundation and the Gourmand World Cookbook Award in Pastry. A longtime food columnist for The Wall Street Journal, she is also the author of Gateau, The London Cookbook, and Eat. Cook. LA., and her work has been widely anthologized, most notably in Best American Food Writing. She has been a frequent contributor to Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Food52, Saveur, Town & Country, Elle, The Daily Beast, Departures, Travel + Leisure, and The New York Times Magazine.  She has worked in the film world, consults in the food space, and serves on several boards with a focus on sustainability. Aleksandra grew up in New York and Paris. She is married to the writer John Burnham Schwartz, and they live in New York with their son, Garrick, and Bouvier des Flandres, Bison.