Pastis béarnais

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Pastis béarnais is a sponge cake from France made with flour, melted butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder, and a measure of pastis that perfumes the cake. Preparation starts by sifting flour with baking powder and bicarbonate and combining this with salt, then whipping eggs with sugar until pale and creamy and gradually adding melted butter blended with pastis before folding in the dry ingredients; the batter is poured into a well-buttered and floured pastis or kugelhopf-style mold and baked at a moderate temperature until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, after which the cake is unmolded and decorated with a dusting of icing sugar. Pastis béarnais is eaten at room temperature as a dessert or sweet course that fits breakfast or afternoon refreshment, often accompanied by a fruit coulis or compote if desired, and it pairs well with coffee, tea, sweet dessert wines, or even a small glass of pastis on the side that echoes the flavor used in the cake batter.