24 French Cake Recipes To Try

French cakes are some of the most delicious and impressive cakes out there.

Pastry and cake making is an art form in France.

If you want to put your baking skills to a technical challenge and have the reward of indulging in a rich, delicate, creamy, and sublime French dessert, you have got to try your hand at French cakes. 

Some French cakes can be tricky or demanding.

But in all my years of baking, one thing I’ve learned is never to let fear get in the way of learning new skills and experiencing new levels of deliciousness. Most of them aren’t as hard as they seem.

Buche de Noel

Buche de Noel is a festive treat with a light sponge cake rolled around smooth chocolate whipped cream. Each bite offers a perfect balance of sweetness and rich cocoa flavor. The airy texture of the cake contrasts beautifully with the creamy filling, making it a delight to eat.

Its eye-catching design adds to its charm. A dusting of powdered sugar creates a snowy effect, while ganache or chocolate shavings enhance its richness. Meringue mushrooms add a whimsical touch.

Charlotte Russe Cake

Charlotte Russe cake is a light and elegant dessert known for its delicate ladyfinger border. These soft, sponge-like biscuits form a crisp outer layer that holds a smooth and creamy custard filling. The combination of textures creates a delightful contrast, making each bite both airy and rich.

This no-bake treat comes together effortlessly. Store-bought ladyfingers are arranged in a springform pan and layered with silky custard and fresh fruit. The fruit adds a subtle sweetness that complements the creamy base.

Dacquoise

Dacquoise is a delicate French cake made of crisp meringue layers filled with roasted nuts and light whipped cream. The meringue provides a subtle sweetness and a slight crunch, while the nuts add a rich, toasty depth. The airy whipped cream balances the textures, making each bite soft yet crisp.

Though meringue may seem tricky to work with, this cake is surprisingly forgiving. Even if the layers crack, the creamy filling helps bring everything together beautifully. The contrast of nutty, sweet, and creamy elements creates a well-rounded flavor.

Fiadone Corsican Cheesecake

Fiadone Corsican cheesecake is a light and flavorful dessert made with ricotta instead of cream cheese. This gives it a delicate texture, similar to flan, with a subtle sweetness and a hint of tanginess. Without a crust, the focus remains on the smooth, custard-like filling that melts in your mouth.

Baking the ricotta mixture creates a slightly golden top while keeping the inside soft and creamy. Since the recipe has only a few ingredients, using high-quality ricotta and fresh eggs enhances its taste. A touch of citrus zest can add brightness to each bite.

French Financier

French Financiers are small, delicate cakes with a soft texture and a rich, nutty flavor. Made with brown butter, egg whites, hazelnut, and almond flour, they have a light yet satisfying bite. The brown butter gives them a warm, caramelized depth that enhances their sweetness without overpowering.

Though simple in appearance, these cakes are packed with flavor. The combination of finely ground nuts and butter creates a moist, tender crumb with a slightly crisp exterior. Their subtle sweetness makes them perfect for pairing with coffee or tea.

Fraisier cake

Fraisier cake is a beautiful French dessert featuring layers of soft sponge cake and silky crème mousseline. The rich cream filling adds a smooth, buttery texture, perfectly balancing the lightness of the sponge. Fresh strawberries bring a natural sweetness and a hint of tartness that keeps each bite refreshing.

The cake’s presentation is just as impressive as its taste. Halved strawberries line the sides, creating an elegant display, while a glossy strawberry compote on top enhances the fruity flavor. The contrast of creamy, fluffy, and juicy textures makes it a delightful treat.

French Galette des Rois | King cake

Galette des Rois, or King Cake, is a classic French pastry with crisp, flaky layers and a rich almond frangipane filling. The buttery puff pastry provides a delicate crunch, while the smooth almond filling adds a nutty sweetness that melts in your mouth. Each bite offers a contrast between the crisp exterior and the soft, flavorful center.

Though traditionally made for Epiphany, this cake is a delightful treat any time of year. The golden, glossy crust gives it a beautiful finish, making it as visually appealing as it is delicious. The light almond flavor pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea.

Traditional Gateau Basque Cake

Gateau Basque is a rich and flavorful French dessert with a crisp, buttery crust and a luscious filling. The golden pastry has a slightly firm texture that gives way to a smooth vanilla pastry cream and sweet black cherry jam. The combination of creamy and fruity elements creates a balanced and satisfying bite.

This cake stands out for its rustic charm. The outer crust bakes to a deep golden brown, encasing the soft filling within. The contrast between the crisp pastry and the creamy center makes it a unique and enjoyable treat.

Baba au Rhum

Baba au Rhum is a light, airy yeast cake soaked in a fragrant rum syrup, giving it a rich, moist texture. The apricot glaze adds a delicate sweetness that enhances the deep, warm notes of the rum. Each bite is soft yet flavorful, making it a luxurious dessert with a refined taste.

Traditionally served with whipped cream and currants, this dessert balances sweetness with a hint of tartness. The combination of syrup-soaked cake and velvety cream creates a satisfying contrast in texture.

Cannelés

Cannelés are small French custard cakes with a crisp, caramelized exterior and a soft, custardy center. Their deep golden crust provides a delicate crunch, while the inside remains rich and slightly chewy, infused with notes of vanilla and rum. This contrast in textures makes them a truly unique treat.

Baked in a special mold, Cannelés develop their signature ridged shape and glossy finish. Achieving the perfect balance between a firm outer layer and a tender core can be challenging, but the result is well worth the effort.

Clafoutis

Clafoutis is a rustic French dessert with a smooth, custard-like texture that falls somewhere between a pancake and a flan. Traditionally made with cherries, its creamy batter bakes around the fruit, creating a tender, lightly sweetened treat with caramelized edges. The contrast between the soft filling and slightly crisp top makes each bite satisfying.

This dessert is versatile, allowing for variations with different fruits, chocolate, or nuts. The simple preparation makes it an easy yet impressive dish to serve for brunch or dessert.

Classic French Croquembouche

Croquembouche is a stunning French dessert made of delicate cream puffs stacked into a towering cone and bound together with golden caramel. Each puff is crisp on the outside and filled with smooth, rich pastry cream, creating a delightful contrast of textures. The caramel adds a slight crunch and a deep, toasty sweetness.

This show-stopping dessert is as much a centerpiece as it is a treat. The glossy caramel coating gives it an elegant finish, making it perfect for weddings, holidays, or special celebrations. While assembling it takes patience, the result is well worth the effort.

Far Breton

Far Breton is a rich, custard-based French cake with a smooth, flan-like texture. Its slightly firm yet creamy consistency makes each bite comforting and satisfying. The deep, caramelized top adds a hint of toasted sweetness that balances the delicate flavors.

Traditionally, this dessert features prunes or raisins, often soaked in rum or brandy, which bring a touch of natural sweetness and a soft, chewy contrast to the silky custard. The combination of simple ingredients results in a dessert that feels both rustic and refined.

St. Honoré Cake

St. Honoré cake is a masterpiece of French pastry, blending crisp puff pastry, airy choux, and rich chiboust cream. The base provides a flaky contrast to the delicate cream-filled choux puffs, which are topped with a thin layer of caramel for a subtle crunch. This combination of textures makes each bite both light and satisfying.

The chiboust cream, a blend of pastry cream and meringue, adds a silky, airy richness that complements the crisp elements. The caramel-coated choux puffs arranged around the cake give it an elegant finish, making it as beautiful as it is delicious.

Classic Kouign-Amann

Kouign-Amann is a classic French pastry from Brittany, known for its crisp, caramelized exterior and buttery, flaky layers. Similar to croissant dough, it undergoes a careful lamination process, but with the addition of sugar, which melts and caramelizes during baking. The result is a pastry that is crisp on the outside with a tender, buttery center.

Each bite offers a perfect balance of sweetness and richness. The deep golden crust shatters delicately, revealing soft, airy layers within. The caramelized sugar adds a subtle crunch, making it an irresistible treat.

Kugelhopf

Kugelhopf is a lightly sweet, yeasted cake with a delicate crumb and a golden, buttery crust. Baked in a signature tall, circular mold, it has an elegant appearance that makes it perfect for special occasions. The dough is enriched with eggs and butter, creating a texture that is soft yet slightly dense, similar to brioche.

Traditionally, Kugelhopf includes raisins and almonds, which add subtle sweetness and a pleasant crunch. Some variations soak the raisins in rum or brandy for added depth of flavor. A dusting of powdered sugar gives the cake a simple yet refined finish.

Mille Feuille

Mille Feuille, or “a thousand sheets,” is a delicate French pastry known for its crisp, flaky layers and creamy filling. This elegant dessert consists of multiple layers of golden puff pastry, each separated by a smooth and rich pastry cream. The combination of textures—crispy, buttery pastry and silky cream—creates a satisfying contrast in every bite.

A signature feature of Mille Feuille is its beautifully decorated top layer. Traditionally, it is covered with a thin layer of icing and finished with a classic chocolate feathering pattern. The result is a dessert that is as visually stunning as it is delicious.

Paris-Brest

The Paris-Brest is a classic French pastry that brings together crisp choux pastry and rich hazelnut mousseline cream. Its round shape, inspired by a famous bicycle race between Paris and Brest, makes it instantly recognizable. The choux pastry forms a delicate, golden ring that is both airy and slightly crisp on the outside.

Inside, the pastry is generously filled with hazelnut mousseline cream, offering a smooth, nutty contrast to the light choux. A dusting of powdered sugar and toasted almonds on top adds both sweetness and crunch. The combination of textures makes each bite satisfying and well-balanced.

Quatre Quart

Quatre Quart, the French version of pound cake, is known for its balanced ratio of four key ingredients: eggs, butter, flour, and sugar. This creates a dense yet tender texture with a rich, buttery flavor. A hint of orange zest adds a subtle citrus note, making each slice fragrant and inviting.

Baked in a loaf pan, this cake develops a golden crust while remaining soft inside. It’s simple yet satisfying, perfect for serving on its own or with a light dusting of powdered sugar. The natural sweetness and moist crumb make it a comforting treat for any time of day.

French Opera Cake

The French Opera Cake is an elegant dessert that layers almond sponge cake with rich coffee syrup, smooth buttercream, and glossy chocolate ganache. The delicate sponge soaks up the coffee syrup, enhancing its deep, bold flavor while keeping the cake moist and tender.

Between each layer, the buttercream adds a creamy, velvety texture that balances the intensity of the coffee. The final touch is a sleek, dark chocolate ganache that provides a slight bitterness, tying all the flavors together. The result is a harmonious blend of sweetness and richness with a refined finish.

French Butter Cakes

French Butter Cakes, or Madeleines, are delicate, shell-shaped treats that are light, buttery, and slightly crisp at the edges. Their soft, airy texture melts in your mouth, making them a delightful choice for any time of the day.

A hint of vanilla or citrus zest enhances the buttery richness, while their golden-brown crust provides a satisfying contrast to the tender crumb. Freshly baked, they offer a subtle sweetness that pairs beautifully with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.

French Apple Cake

French apple cake is a wonderfully simple yet elegant dessert with a soft, buttery texture and a delicate rum flavor. The fresh apple pieces create a moist, tender crumb, making each bite rich and satisfying. A dusting of powdered sugar adds a light sweetness that enhances its rustic charm.

The balance of flavors is warm and comforting, with the apples providing a natural sweetness that pairs beautifully with the buttery base. It’s not overly sweet, allowing the fruit to shine.

Nonnettes (French Gingerbread Cakes)

Nonnettes are delightful little French gingerbread cakes with a soft, spiced texture and a sweet jam filling. Traditionally, these cakes are infused with honey, cinnamon, and ginger, creating a warm and aromatic flavor.

Baked in a muffin pan, they have a slightly dense yet tender crumb. The jam filling adds a fruity contrast, and the lemon glaze on top brings a refreshing tang.

French Chocolate Cake

French chocolate cake is a rich, melt-in-your-mouth dessert made with just five simple ingredients. The key to its luxurious taste lies in high-quality dark chocolate, which gives it an intense depth of flavor.

With a delicate balance of butter, eggs, and sugar, the cake has a fudgy, almost truffle-like texture. Unlike traditional cakes, it doesn’t rely on flour, making it naturally dense and indulgent.