Gâteau à la broche

Set up the specialist spit and legal fire area. Install the purpose-built spit on a stable non-combustible base in a legal outdoor or professionally vented designated hearth. Wrap the 45 cm food-safe cone smoothly in baking parchment secured with food-safe cotton twine, fit the catch tray and test continuous rotation at about 35 rpm. The 45 cm food-safe cone is firmly mounted, wrapped smoothly with baking parchment secured by food-safe cotton twine, and rotates without wobble at about 35 rpm. Stable alignment is essential because the cake is built layer by layer while rotating. Use only purpose-built equipment on a stable non-combustible base outdoors or in a professionally vented designated hearth; no improvised indoor appliance.

Mix the batter and rest it. Separate the 600 g eggs. Beat the yolks with the 500 g sugar, work in the 500 g sifted flour, 10 g baking powder, 3 g salt, 500 g melted-but-warm butter and 15 ml rum, then fold in the whipped whites. Leave the batter for the full 60-minute rest. The batter falls from the ladle in a thick continuous ribbon and the folded egg whites remain evenly distributed without dry flour. A cohesive, aerated batter sets into distinct layers instead of sliding immediately from the cone. Keep melted butter warm rather than hot so it does not cook the eggs; keep raw batter away from ready-to-eat food.

Prepare and stabilise the wood fire. Build a controlled hardwood fire without accelerants and wait about 20 minutes for a stable bed of glowing embers. Keep water or an extinguisher within reach, wear fitted clothing and heat-resistant gloves, and keep children away from the working zone. The fire has a stable bed of glowing embers with no accelerant flame-up, and the rotating cone can remain about 35–45 cm from the radiant heat without scorching parchment. Stable radiant heat gives each thin layer time to set before the next ladle is added. Check local fire restrictions and dry-weather conditions; use no accelerants, keep children away, wear fitted clothing and heat-resistant gloves, and keep water or an extinguisher beside the cook.

Build the cake in successive rotating layers. Start the spit and ladle a modest ribbon of batter over the rotating cone. Let it set and colour before adding the next ladle; repeat continuously for about 70 minutes, adjusting the cone within roughly 35–45 cm of the radiant heat as needed. Keep the radiant surface zone at about 180–220 °C while the spit turns. Each new layer is set and golden before the next is added, and the accumulated drips create characteristic pointed ridges rather than a smooth shell. Waiting for each layer to set is what creates the visible stratification and projecting points. Never leave the rotating spit or open flame unattended; keep hands and loose clothing clear of the mechanism and fire.

Finish cooking the thickest section. After the last layer, keep the spit rotating in slightly gentler heat for about 10 minutes. Probe the thickest lower edible section without touching the metal cone and continue until it reaches 96 °C. The thickest lower section reaches 96 °C, a clean skewer shows no wet batter, and there is no raw-flour taste. The final hold finishes the interior after the outer layering is complete. Verify internal temperature away from the metal cone and keep rotating to prevent scorching.

Remove the cake safely and cool completely. With heat-resistant gloves, move the spit to its stable stand. Let the cake firm before sliding it from the cone, then cool it completely for at least 30 minutes before slicing; extinguish and secure the fire fully. The cake is firm enough to slide from the cone without collapsing, then cools completely before slicing. Cooling sets the butter-rich layers and reduces breakage during removal. Extinguish and secure the fire fully before leaving the area; the cone and fittings remain dangerously hot.