The origins of the spit cake are a subject of debate and are still a bit unclear. It has been attributed to the king of Prussia’s pastry chef, who is said to have created it in the 1790s in Salzwedel. Napoleon’s soldiers may have brought it back to France from the Caucasus. In any event, it was quickly adopted in the Pyrenees.
Gâteau à La BrocheThe basic recipe is similar to pancakes: eggs, sugar, flour and butter. But each family has its secret recipe and adds a personal touch to give it a unique taste: rum, vanilla, orange blossom water, etc. The possibilities are endless.
Its original shape is no accident. The batter is poured onto a cone-shaped mould of varying sizes and then fixed to a spit, which is continually rotated. Baking can last for hours, depending on the size of the cake. You can’t just make spit cake any old how, and the process calls for time and patience.
It was traditionally a cake for the big occasions, weddings and baptisms, but today you can find at Lourdes market and at the Maison de Madame Bernard or Pierre Lahaille, where it is made on the premises in a wood-fired oven.
