Vully Cake

As its name suggest, Gâteau du Vully comes from the beautiful Swiss area of Vully, at the heart of the Three Lakes Region.

In the olden days, Gâteau du Vully was more common in its savoury version, flavoured with bacon and cumin, and enjoyed with a glass of chasselas as an apéritif. Recipes were shared and exchanged at the communal oven while the tarts were baking.

When sugar became a common foodstuff, “salée au sucre” became more widespread. It’s easy to make but the recipe is very precise. What makes it even more delicious and surprising are the little holes on the surface, called “puits d’amour” (wells of love), where the cream, butter and sugar accumulate.

Recipe

Setting up and directions: approx. 35 min.
Rising of dough: 2 hours
Cooking in the oven: approx. 20 min.
Ingredients for a mould of 28-30 cm
Approx. 10 g yeast
2 dl milk
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
50 g butter
250 flour
1 dl double cream
1 egg yolk
Salt

Directions
Mix the yeast, 1 tablespoon of milk and ½ tablespoon of sugar in a bowl. Cover and allow to stand for approx. 15 min. until the liquid becomes foamy.
Add 30 g melted and cooled butter.
Add the flour, ½ tsp. of salt and 1 ½ dl milk. Knead into soft and smooth dough.
Put the dough on a greased mould, flatten. Cover and allow to rise at room temperature for approx. 2 hours. Push your fingers into the dough surface to make several hollows.
Place a few knobs of butter into these hollows.
Mix the double cream and the egg yolk, brush the surface of the dough with half of this preparation and keep the rest.
Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Cook for approx. 10 min. in the middle of the oven preheated to 200° C. Remove the cake from the oven.
Baste the cake once again with the rest of the double cream and egg yolk. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Put back in the oven for approx. 10 min.
To be served cold.
For the salted version of the Vully Cake, prepare the same dough mixture, basted with double cream and egg yolk. Don't sprinkle the surface with butter and sugar. Replace with bacon cubes and cumin.