''Pain de Gênes'' () is a cake made largely from almond paste, eggs and melted butter, but only a minimal amount of flour. Another unusual aspect is that no raising agent is used, instead the rise is achieved by whisking the butter and eggs. It is said to have been invented to commemorate the
1800 siege of French forces at
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
, when the city's inhabitants survived largely on almonds. However, despite this it is not actually of Italian origin but French, and was invented in the 1840s by Parisian pastry chef Fauvel, who worked at the Chiboust pastry shop. Fauvel initially called it ''gateau d'ambroise'' (ambrosia cake).
Cook's Info
Pain de Gênes recipe & history
See also
* Genoise cake, a light sponge cake
* Genoa cake, a rich fruit cake
References
French pastries
French cakes
Almond desserts
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