Breton Butter Cake Recipe

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/17/19
Breton Butter Cake

bonchan / Getty Images

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
390 Calories
25g Fat
40g Carbs
2g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 390
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 33%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Cholesterol 87mg 29%
Sodium 191mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 15%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Protein 2g
Calcium 37mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This Breton butter cake is a classic dessert in Brittany. Kouign amann means "bread and butter," and if bread is the staff of life, then this special bread is certainly gilding the lily! Rich with butter and sugar, this cake needs no adornment whatsoever, although berries or whipped cream make for a special treat.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce yeast (instant dry)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar (granulated)
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar (granulated)
  • 3/4 cup water (lukewarm)
  • 4 cups flour (all-purpose)
  • 1 cup butter (cold, salted)
  • 1 egg yolk (beaten)

Steps to Make It

  1. Sprinkle the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar over the warm water and allow the yeast to dissolve for 5 minutes. Stir the flour into the yeast mixture until it forms a smooth, thick dough.

  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch the dough into a large rectangle, about 9-inches by 13-inches. Dot the surface with 1/4 cup of the cold butter and sprinkle it with 1/4 cup of sugar. Fold the dough into quarters. Repeat the rolling and folding process again, three times.

  3. Preheat an oven to 350F. Once the dough is folded into quarters the last time, fit it into a greased 9-inch round baking pan. Brush the surface of the dough with the egg yolk, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes, until it turns golden brown.

  4. Allow the butter cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, run a thin, offset spatula or knife around the edges of the cake, and remove the cake from the baking pan. Serve the cake warm with berries or cream.

Recipe Tags: