COMMON INGREDIENTS

Gâteaux, cakes, and tortes do contain many of the same ingredients, such as flour, eggs, and butter. A torte usually
needs less flour than a cake or gâteau, sometimes calling for breadcrumbs or ground nuts to replace some of the
flour.
One more similarity is that gâteau, cake, and torte can all be made in layers. However, this is where the desserts start
to differentiate.

AMERICAN CAKE
Cakes are made with a variety of flavors, topped with a variety of icing types to complement the cake’s flavor. The
centerpiece of the dessert is the cake itself, with the best cakes layered with minimal icing in between.
Most layered cakes are made up of just two layers, except for the special occasion cakes like wedding cakes that
come in multiple tiers.
Generally, if kept properly stored, cake can stay fresh for a week or more.

FRENCH GÂTEAU
Gâteau describes a dessert that features a rich filling in between the layers of decadent sponge cake. Popular choices
for the gâteau filling include thick cream, mousse, or ganache. Gâteau is often filled with lots of fresh fruit.
Because of the spoilage factor, gâteaux are generally created and eaten on the same day.

GERMAN TORTE
Tortes are made up of multiple layers of very thin sponge cake and a variety of fillings, including fruit, jam,
whipped cream, or mousse. Some tortes substitute some of the flour for finely ground hazelnuts for added flavor and
a better texture. Almond torte cakes add crushed almonds to the sponge cake mix.
The goal of a torte is to create as many layers as possible, sometimes 10 or more, making the dessert very tall.
Adding to the sweetness, tortes are usually covered in a chocolate torte cake glaze or firm-setting fondant, and
decorated for added appeal. The topping extends the shelf life of a torte, even if the filling contains fruit.
Many tortes can become rather expensive to make and buy, depending on the type and quality of the ingredients that
make up the layers.

PT – cupcake decoration

PT – box

PE – Petit fours