Name: Gâteau Paris-Brest
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Makes: 8–12-portion cake
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 1 tbs caster sugar; 300 ml / 10 fl oz whipping cream; 100 g / 3½ oz plain flour; 250 ml / 9 fl oz boiling water; 120 g / 4 oz prepared praline powder; 2–3 tsp caster sugar or to taste; 1 tsp icing sugar; 3 eggs; 90 g / 3 oz butter; 15 g / ½ oz flaked almonds, lightly toasted; 3–4 tbs strong black coffee

Preparation info

Makes:
8–12
-portion cake

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
30 min

Appears in

Cakes

By Geraldene Holt

Published 2011

About

A French pastry-chef created this gâteau to celebrate the famous cycle race from Paris to Brest that was launched in 1891. Rings of choux pastry – which, of course, inflate in the oven – represent bicycle wheels, sandwiched with a rich praline cream, though a quicker, easier coffee-flavoured cream is an alternative. The gâteau has remained popular with pâtisseries, particularly during the season of the annual Tour de France.