Today’s Musings:

Our imaginary food cruise has brought us to Burgundy, a region that I imagine smells faintly of earthy wine-soaked oak barrels, mustard seeds, and the rocky soil that holds secrets of centuries-old vineyards. Here, I envision desserts made for the home kitchen, a kitchen hewn from stone and held up with old beams, not for the glittering displays of pâtisseries seen throughout Paris. This cake is a quiet champion of that imagining.

Toasted ground almonds, rich and fragrant, form a dense, velvety crumb that practically whispers of the region’s love affair with nuts, used in both sweet and savory cooking. Once baked, the cake is pricked with a skewer and drenched  with a red Burgundy wine syrup, brightened here with a whisper of Kirsch (a nod to my Alsatian heritage). The French call this soaking technique imbiber, saturating every bite with flavor.

In Burgundy, desserts are often soaked in wine or spirits, a subtle nod to the vineyards that dominate the hills and the kitchens that have long relied on them, turning a simple cake into a quiet celebration of terroir.

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Today’s Recipe:

You’ll notice this recipe produces a thick batter—that’s the signature of a European butter cakes. Unlike American cakes, which are tall, light, and fluffy (and a bit bland IMHO), traditional European cakes are fine-crumbed, dense, and sliceable. Relying solely on butter and eggs for moisture creates a velvety crumb rather than a fluffy sponge.

Gâteau de Bourgogne

• Servings: 8-10
• Print

Ingredients

CAKE:
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• Powdered sugar (for dusting)
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
WINE SYRUP:
• ½ cup red Burgundy wine (Pinot Noir preferred)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 teaspoons Kirsch (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast ground almonds in a dry pan until golden and fragrant. Cool completely. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon zest and vanilla extract.
3. In a separate bowl combine toasted almonds, flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined.
4. Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. While cake cools, combine wine, sugar, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Heat gently until sugar dissolves; simmer until thickened to about ⅓ cup. Remove from heat and stir in Kirsch. Discard cinnamon stick. Let cool slightly.
6. Prick warm (not hot) cake with a skewer. Pour warm (not hot) syrup over slowly and evenly. Wrap cake in plastic wrap and let it soak overnight in fridge.
7. Bring cake to room temperature before serving. You may notice the center has sunk a bit. This is completely normal. Dust with powdered sugar and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Cut in thin slices and serve with coffee or tea.

Two-Bit News:

Last weekend, I was back at it, peddling Gluten For Punishment, this time at Laguna Beach Litfest 2026. I’m pleased to say that one of my customers picked it for their next book club. Local book clubs get the added perk of having me on hand to answer questions, if they want, and a dessert from the book. I loved this particular event, being around other writers —they understand the nuances of writing publishing a book. I received dozens of comments on the Title and Cover art. One customer commented that my writing “has great, lively energy.”

Later this month, I’ll be sitting down as a guest for my first podcast of 2026. Once it’s produced and posted, I’ll share all the details. Another guest spot on a different podcast is scheduled for late February. Hopefully the podcasts will have great, lively energy as well.

My next confirmed in-person BIG events are in March (Tucson Book Festival) and April (Los Angeles Festival of Books), but I’ll be posting smaller event on the Two-Bit Events page as they’re confirmed.

If you enjoy my writing and baking, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Gluten For Punishment, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org. You won’t be disappointed.

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