You’ll be pleased with this childhood favorite cake: Gâteau Courant d’Air aka Gâteau Biscuit. Every Tunisian household must have done this cake at least once. It is such an easy and relatively cheap recipe packed with flavor. The good thing about this cake is that it doesn’t require baking, you most likely have the ingredients already, and no pastry chef skills are needed.
Gâteau courant d’air consists of layers of sweet biscuits dipped in strong coffee with a cream-based filling in between each layer. Then each layer is covered in ground nuts or slices of fruits to add some flavor and texture.
The cake is very versatile and can be done with pretty much anything. The filling can be done with crème fraîche, ricotta, mascarpone, condensed milk, or a combination. For this recipe, I did crème fraiche and ricotta. I was looking for a light and airy texture. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
INGREDIENTS: (Serves 10-12)
- 36 biscuits (biscuit saïda) – or more depending on the size of the dish you’ll be using
- 2 creme fraiche containers (300 ml)
- 70 gr ricotta
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar or honey
- Strong black coffee
- 1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and pumpkin seeds)
- Cacao powder (optional)
RECIPE:
“Gâteau Courant d’Air” — PREPARATION:
- Start by making strong american coffee. Set aside and let cool.
- In the meantime, mix the creme fraiche, ricotta, and powdered sugar. Check the taste. It should not be very sweet because the biscuits are already sweet.
- To assemble, grab a tray or flat serving plate and dip each biscuit in the coffee and layer on the bottom. Add the creme fraiche mixture on top of the biscuit layer. After that, cover in nuts. Repeat the process. until you do three full layers.
- For the topping, you can decorate however your heart desires. If you’re looking for more of a tiramisu flavor, I would recommend covering it with cocoa powder.
- Once the cake is all assembled, place in the fridge for 3 hours or in the freezer for 30 min.
- Serve cold and enjoy!
Happy cooking (or should I say baking)!
#TasteTunisia initiative
This Gâteau Courant d’Air recipe is part of the #TasteTunisia initiative. In search of Tunisian cuisine, through a series of articles/videos, Carthage Magazine offers a window to the Tunisian food and recipes.
The Taste Tunisia initiative is supported by Carthage Magazine and led by international registered dietitians-nutritionists from Tunisia, making it the ultimate initiative that celebrates and promotes Tunisian cuisine.
More Tunisian Recipes.
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