Gastronomy
Recipe: Pyrenean spit cake
This traditional recipe from the Upper Pyrenees is a favourite with locals and holidaymakers alike. With its original shape and unique taste, this ancestral cake is a must-try.
Spit-roasted cake or Rocher des Pyrénées
Origins and technique
Where does it come from? It is said to have been brought back from Russia or Poland by Napoleon’s soldiers… This traditional cake is made by families on special occasions: weddings, birthdays… But for those with a sweet tooth, it can be eaten as a snack, hot, cold or warm according to taste.
It takes a long time to prepare: 2 people are required to bake it for several hours. Each layer of pastry needs to be cooked before adding more pastry, which gives it its original appearance. The whole process is done with the help of a conical mould that is turned along an axis in front of a fire.
The spit-roasted cake is also known as Rocher des Pyrénées, in reference to the surrounding mountains. For the curious, it is possible to watch the preparation of this typical cake in the villages, notably at the Maison du Gâteau à la broche in Saint Lary Soulan.
A typical, traditional cake
Ingredients for the spit-roast cake
- 24 eggs
- 1 kg butter
- 1 kg flour
- 1 kg sugar
- 1 glass of rum
- Vanilla flavouring
- Greaseproof paper
- Conical wooden mould
- An open fire
Patience and method
Preparing the spit cake
Start by lighting a good wood fire. The mould is a conical piece with a metal rod running through it, resting on two tripods placed in front of the fire. Place a dish under the spit to catch the batter that falls from it.
- Beat the eggs with the sugar, then add the flour and melted butter. Flavour with rum and vanilla.
- Cover the cone with well-wrapped greaseproof paper, brush with butter and heat over a high flame.
- When it’s ready, start pouring the pastry over it while another person turns the spit regularly.
- From time to time, catch the pastry that has fallen under the spit and pass it back over the cake.
- Turn and pour until you run out of batter.
- Don’t forget to keep the fire going.
Video with Les Carnets de Julie