Quatre Quarts

Almost every European country has a version of Pound Cake, the classic combination of equal weights of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs, but the French one is subtly different. For one thing, it is usually baked as a loaf, not as a round. For another, it is often perfumed with candied fruits, or nowadays with sweet herbs such as lemon balm or verbena, or even with green tea. Quatre Quarts means “four quarters,” the principle being that the eggs in the shell balance with the butter, sugar, and