Vitréais

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Vitréais is a layered cake from Vitré that has two almond-flavored sponge-style biscuits sandwiching a caramelized apple filling, with a light glaze of egg white, sugar, and slivered almonds on top, giving a tender crumb with rich apple and buttery caramel notes, and a mild nutiness. The dessert was invented in 1989 by pastry chef Jacques Lhuissier during a contest organized by the local tourism office aimed at creating a dish that used local produce such as apples, and it was first sold commercially in Vitré bakeries in the early 1990s before fading from common sale and later being revived in local kitchens and bakeries in the late 2000s and 2010s as interest in regional specialties grew. Preparation begins with two almond biscuits made by whisking egg yolks and whole eggs with sugar and ground almonds until pale, folding in sifted flour and melted butter, and incorporating beaten egg whites to create a light batter that is baked into two thin cakes; while those bake, peeled and thinly sliced apples are cooked in sugar until caramel begins to form, then butter and cream are added to make a glossy apple-caramel mixture, which cools before being spread over one biscuit and topped with the second before brushing the surface with a mixture of egg white and sugar, sprinkling with slivered almonds, dusting with powdered sugar, and briefly broiling to color the top. Vitréais is served warm or at room temperature as a dessert, often cut into wedges or squares, and it pairs well with a sweet white wine such as a vin doux naturel or with coffee and mild black teas that complement the apple and caramel richness.