Le cannelé, its history and our best addresses

Cannelés, the jewels of Bordeaux pastry-making, fascinate with their history and unique flavor. Discover the origins of these caramelized delicacies and the best places to enjoy them, as selected by Gault&Millau.

Anne Debbasch Published on 6/19/24 at 4:31 PM

Its origins remain mysterious. Attributed in the 16ᵉ century to the nuns of the Bordeaux convent of the Annonciades, the cake was rolled around a cane stem before being fried, then referred to as canelat or canelet. It's also said that its name comes from canaules, a bread made from flour and egg yolks made in the 17ᵉ century by canauliers. Whatever the case, cannelé or canelé - both spellings can be found - is a small cake marked with grooves. The fundamentals of the recipe are flour, egg yolks, milk, sugar, vanilla and rum, and of course the indispensable copper fluted mold needed to obtain its distinctive texture, melt-in-the-mouth on the inside and crispy on the outside. Simple in appearance, it requires real expertise. aThe best? The ones you eat once they've cooled, three hours after baking. Today, there are many variations.

The cannelé from Le Cèdre restaurant

Chef Matthieu Hervé pays particular attention to the vanilla he chooses to flavor the dough of his cannelé. "It's very important to leave the vanilla to infuse in the milk overnight to recover all its aromas. In a cannelé, taste and texture are just as important. Soft on the inside and crisp on the outside." Baked in copper molds greased with beeswax, the chef likes to swap the scent of rum for cognac, cointreau and citrus zest. Once unmolded, he adds a touch of praline to the hollow of his cannelé for an extra touch of deliciousness.

Where? Chateau de Montcaud, 30200 Sabran
www.chateaudemontcaud.com
Read Gault&Millau's review of Le Cèdre

Cannelé ice cream from Maison Raugi

The savoir-faire of this little Bordeaux cake Enzo Raugi, the 4thᵉ generation of the family of artisan ice-cream makers, learned it from Anthony Chenoz, the Head Pastry Chef at Les Sources de Caudalie. The young pastry chef thus imagined a cannelé ice cream, the idea of which he used to create his very first log, the Enzinho." The log combines a cannelé ice cream enriched with pieces of cannelé, a creamy Comoros vanilla ice cream chosen for its floral notes, and a caramel cream to push the caramelized side of the little Bordeaux cakes. I'm very proud of Enzo," confides Fabrice Raugi. Coated with a milk chocolate glaze, the log is an ode to gourmandise.

Where? 2 bis Rue du Chanoine Colombani, 20200 Bastia
www.raugi.fr

Cannelé from La Pie qui Couette

The chef's signature, straightforward flavors! When it comes to making his cannelés, he doesn't deviate from this rule. "I serve my cannelés plain, but I also like to macerate them in a dark rum syrup to give them a Baba-like touch, which goes very well with the softness of this little cake." A cannelé that's perfect with coffee or as a gourmet snack.

Where? Halles Centrales, 6a Rue Guizot, 30000 Nîmes
Read Gault&Millau's review of La Pie qui Couette

KL Pâtisserie's cannelé

A childhood memory, Kevin Lacote makes an anthological cannelé: "I love the contrast between the melt-in-the-mouth texture of the heart of the cannelé, which I perfume with rum and vanilla, and its crunchy brown crust". A little cake that you can eat with your fingers whenever you feel the slightest hint of hunger. An experience you'll want to try!

Where? 78 Avenue de Villiers, 75017 Paris
www.klpatisserie.com
Read Gault&Millau's review of KL Pâtisserie

Le cannelé des Sources de Caudalie

Chef Anthony Chenoz allows the milk, butter and vanilla to infuse for 12 hours, allowing the pastry to absorb the scents of vanilla and rum. "We then add the flour, followed by the rum, and let the mixture rest again for a few hours before giving it a final whisk to make sure the dough is homogeneous. Baking is carried out in copper molds previously greased with beeswax from Juan Gonzales, a honey producer in Le Haillan in the Médoc." The beeswax makes the cannelé waterproof and gives it that incredible crunch we love in the cupcake. Try it at least once in your life!