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Quatre-Quarts (Easy 4-Ingredient French Pound Cake)

Quatre-quarts cake on a serving board.
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Quatre-quarts Breton is a classic French pound cake made with equal weights of four ingredients: eggs, sugar, flour, and butter. Flavored with vanilla, lemon, or rum, it is a perfect cake for your morning tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature
  • the weight of the 5 eggs in granulated sugar (eggshells removed) 
  • the weight of the 5 eggs in all-purpose flour (eggshells removed) 
  • the weight of the 5 eggs in salted butter (eggshells removed) 
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder (optional) 

Instructions

  1. Ideally, start by weighing the eggs and adjusting the weights of each ingredient so they match the eggs. Use a food scale for accurate ingredient measurements.
  2. Weigh 5 large eggs with shells. Use an egg separator to separate the egg whites from the yolks. Weigh the empty eggshells and subtract their weight from the egg weight. You will then have the weight of the eggs without shells.
  3. While letting the egg whites and egg yolks get to room temperature, weigh each of the other three ingredients to the same weight as the egg.
  4. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Grease and flour an 8-inch (20 cm) nonstick bread pan or line it with parchment paper. If using a silicone loaf pan, there is no need to grease.
  5. Cut butter into equal pieces and place in a small saucepan. Melt it over low to medium heat, transfer it to a clean bowl, and let it cool for 10 minutes.
  6. Place egg yolks with sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Beat the yolk mixture until it whitens.
  7. Gradually add the flour, baking powder (if used), and cooled melted butter to the egg mixture while mixing at low speed.
  8. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites at medium-high speed until stiff peaks. Gently add 1/2 of the beaten egg whites into the main preparation and mix with a rubber spatula. Add the remaining egg whites and mix.
  9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Dip the handle of a wooden spoon in cold water, then incise 2 cm into the entire length of the cake. This will prevent it from denting while baking.
  10. Place the cake in the center of the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 320°F (160°C). Bake for 65-70 minutes until golden brown. Check for doneness with a knife after 50 minutes: if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
  11. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Unmold it and cool it completely on a cooling rack.

Notes

  1. For the best results, use a metal cake pan. Refrain from using a glass pan, as it doesn't yield an appealing crust. Additionally, avoid using a silicone mold, as the cake may deform during baking, resulting in an oblong shape.
  2. Don't open the oven door during baking.
  3. Adjust the baking time using mini loaf pans, mini bunt cake molds, muffin pans, etc.
  4. Nutritional information is calculated for one large egg, weighing 55 g.

 

 

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/quatre-quarts-french-pound-cake/