NUAGE or CLOUD CAKE

A nuage or cloud cake (nuage is French for cloud) is a dressed-up angel food cake, light and fluffy with cream filling and frosting. The basic ingredients are egg whites, flour, and sugar—no eggs or butter. A whipping agent, such as cream of tartar, is commonly added. The light, fluffy, aerated texture comes from whipped egg whites. Unlike angel cake, which is typically served plain or with a side of fruit sauce and fresh fruit, a nuage can also be decorated with coconut, chocolate shavings, fruit, etc. The different flavors of cream, frosting, and toppings enable an expansive number of options.

OPERA CAKE

A layered cake of chocolate, espresso and almonds. Thin layers of a delicate almond sponge called joconde, are sandwiched with layers of chocolate ganache and coffee buttercream and topped with a chocolate glaze. The recipe was created by pâtissier Louis Clichy, who called it the Clichy; but it was later popularized by the Parisian pâtissèrie Dalloyau as the Opera Cake. There are many variations of the recipe, some having seven or more layers (14 total of cake and ganache), some far fewer (including Dalloyau’s). Modern versions include pistachio and green tea riffs.

PANDORO

Pandoro is a sweet yeast bread from the Verona area of Italy, typically baked in a star-shaped mold with eight points and dusted with powdered sugar. Unlike panettone, it is a simpler bread, not filled with candied fruits. The name, pan d’oro or “golden bread,” refers to the yellow color achieved from white flour, butter and eggs. Originally, such delicacies were enjoyed only by the wealthy; the poor could only afford black bread, made from unrefined flour.

PANETTONE

Panettone is a medieval Italian Christmas yeast bread, filled with candied fruits and raisins. Panettone, a Milanese specialty, is tall, dome-shaped and airy, in contrast to the other famous Christmas bread, panforte, which is is short and dense (although there is a less common, flat version of panettone). The name means “large loaf” in Italian. While the origins of a sweet leavened bread date back to Roman times, and a tall, leavened fruitcake can be seen in a 16th century painting by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, the first known mention of panettone with Christmas is found in the 18th century writings of Pietro Verri, who refers to it as “pane di tono,” (luxury bread).

PANFORTE

Panforte, or “strong bread” in Italian (so-called due to the strong spices—it was originally called spiced bread with honey), originated as a holiday bread in 12th century Siena, Italy, baked by nuns.  A large, round, flat torte with a dense, sticky texture, panforte is a mixture of candied fruit, almonds, spices and sometimes cocoa, bound with a sugar and honey boiled syrup. The pan is lined with communion wafers. The result is an Italian version of English fruitcake. It is enjoyed by the family and given as gifts, like panettone (see above), and is now enjoyed year-round as dessert, with a glass of vin santo, a sweet dessert wine. Read more about panforte in our review of Sophia’s Gluten-Free Panforte.

PAVLOVA

A dessert originating in New Zealand or Australia (both claim credit), named after the ballerina Anna Pavlova. A meringue circle is filled with fresh fruit and topped with whipped cream. One story says that the dessert was designed after a tutu worn by Pavlova, the meringue being the skirt and the kiwi and strawberry representing a rose decoration. Today, any variety of berries and fresh fruits are used, and some recipes include chocolate decor as well. Read more about the Pavlova in our review of Pav Lites Pavlovas.
 

PEAR WILLIAM CAKE
Alternating layers of vanilla génoise and sliced poached pears, typically without Pear William eau de vie. The version in the photo is layered with pear Bavarian mousse and pear chunks, topped with a caramel glaze and sliced toasted almonds. The correct name is Pear William, not Pear Williams. It is named for the Williams pear, known as the Bartlett pear in the U.S.

PENUCHE
Pronounced pen-OO-chay after the Italian panucci, penuche is a confection based on brown sugar. There is penuche fudge, and for cakes, penuche frosting. To make it, melt 1/2 cup butter; stir in 1 cup brown sugar and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture pulls away from the sides and bottom of the pan, then boil for two minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup milk; heat to boiling and remove from heat. Stir in 2-1/4 cups confectioner’s sugar. Beat smooth with electric beaters. Spread quickly onto cake; the frosting will set immediately.

PERSIPAN

Persipan is a less expensive substitution for marzipan, made from ground apricot and/or peach kernels. The word is a combination of persicus, Latin for peach, and marzipan. Persipan may also have some ground almonds, the traditional ingredient of marzipan, in the recipe. The sugar content is higher than marzipan (up to 60%) to offset the bitterness of the ingredients. Persipan is somewhat stiffer than marzipan and is used almost exclusively in baking.

PETIT FOUR

A petit four (pronounced petty-fore) is a tiny cake served at the end of a meal with coffee—often after other desserts. The words are French for “small oven” but mean “small baked pastries.” There are many varieties of petit four; the most familiar in the U.S. is a one-inch-square layered sponge cake, filled with butter cream and iced in a variety of colored fondants, often with tiny roses or other piped embellishments. In France, this style is not common; and there are confections which can be included on a petit fours plate that are not baked at all (e.g. glazed or chocolate-dipped fruit, marzipan, chocolates and nut clusters).

PIÑATA CAKE

Piñata cake, a concept that originated in the U.K. and is also popular in Australia. We also found it in Germany, called surprise cake. When you cut into what appears to be a conventional layer cake, candies spill out. A four-layer cake is recommended to have enough room for lots of candy to tumble out. Here’s more about piñata cake.

POVITICA or POTICA

Pronounced poe-VEET-suh, povitica is a traditional Eastern European cake popular in Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia; it is also called potica (poh-TEET-sah), depending on the country. It is a variation of Russian-origin babka, a delightful yeast cake. Povitica has more butter (and in some recipes, cream cheese), making it more rich and dense than babka.
 

POUND CAKE

The rich, dense, buttery pound cake was developed in England in the 1700s. The name comes from the simple fact that the recipe contained one pound each of butter, eggs, flour and sugar. Today, different extracts, liqueurs, flavorings such as chocolate, and additives such as chocolate chips and candied fruits are used to make many varieties of pound cake. Beyond the early flavorings—almond, lemon, orange and vanilla—pound cakes can be found today in cappuccino, chocolate, key lime, raspberry and anything else that appeals to the public. Read our review of Pound Cakes By Jane.
 

QUEEN CAKE

A white layer cake with caramel frosting.
 

RED VELVET CAKE

A cake with roots in the Southern U.S. Originally made from beets or beet juice and cocoa (and the best recipes still are), the cake yields a reddish brown color with a mild chocolate flavor. Today’s recipes made with red food coloring can be a florid red. A thick white frosting is traditional. Today, many recipes use red food color instead of beets, which leaves a rosy red and arresting color but a more bland flavor and texture. A light-textured chocolate layer-type cake with a deep reddish brown color.

ROULADE

The French word for what some Americans call a “jelly roll,” but much more. Baked in a sheet pan (jelly roll pan), this light and delicate sponge cake is rolled with and filled with buttercream, fruit or fruit puree, ganache, jam, lemon curd, nuts, whipped cream, etc. The bûche de Noël is a roulade.

ROYAL ICING

A pure white, hard icing made from egg whites and confectioner’s sugar; sometimes lemon juice is added. Royal icing hardens to a thin, flat, smooth layer and is used on gingerbread, large, decorated cookies and a variety of cakes, including wedding cakes. The hard matte surface is preferred for complicated lettering and decorations on cookies, but it does not offer much flavor beyond sugary sweetness.

RUM CAKE

A rum-soaked sponge cake or pound cake. There are numerous recipes for the cake assembly; it can be filled with buttercream, whipped cream or custard; fruit such as sliced strawberries can be added. Or, it can be a plain loaf or bundt. One of our favorite recipes uses a boiled chocolate icing with pressed sliced almonds around the sides. The only constant is the rum-soaked sponge, which makes it a cake cousin to baba au rhum. Some bakers use a rum-flavored sugar syrup for a milder effect.

The king of rum cakes is this gourmet version by The Great Spirits Baking Company (read our review), a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week. It uses Pyrat rum, one of the finest brands of sipping rum, instead of an average or or below-average rum.