This Cameroonian Gateau recipe produces delicious little beignets which you can fill with whatever you like.
If you like donuts, then you will just fall in love with Cameroonian Gateau, also known as beignets.
Crispy on the outside and deliciously fluffy on the inside, these cake-like donuts are perfect with a good cup of coffee.
There are many different variations of this recipe, but we think the traditional Cameroonian recipe is one of the very best!
What are beignets?
Beignets are essentially a choux ball that is fried and filled with raspberry jam. They were originally a French creation.
The great thing is that their lovely sweet dough lends itself to a range of flavors, so you can leave beignets plain or fill them with whatever you would like! Here are some great filling options:
– White chocolate and raspberry jam
– Nutella and strawberry jam
– Pineapple jam
– Cream cheese filling
In Cameroon you can find these treats sold by street vendors or at bakeries and they are similar to a puff puff, which is an African fried dough snack.
Cameroonian gateau are fatter than puff puffs and uses less liquid. You can serve these fried delights covered into powdered sugar and cinnamon sugar if you want to sweeten them up – simply roll them in each after you take them out of the oil.
If you make a large batch of these, you can store them in a Ziplock bag or an airtight container for up to two days.
When cooking larger amounts, you may need to fry them in several batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. If you do overcrowd your pan you will find that they won’t cook evenly and it will take a lot longer too.
If you love this recipe, why not try these Puff Pastry Beignets too? Or how about these yummy S’Mores Cream Puffs – they are great for wowing your dinner party guests! Better yet, make these West African beef suya skewers!
Related: check out our conversation with the coauthor of The Contemporary African Cookbook.
Cameroonian Gateau
This Cameroonian Gateau recipe produces delicious little beignets which you can fill with whatever you like.
Ingredients
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Milk
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil plus extra for frying
- 1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl.
- Using your fingers, blend all the ingredients and mix well until a smooth dough is formed.
- Sprinkle some flour on your work surface and place the dough onto it. Knead well for about five minutes until the dough is not sticky.
- Pop the dough back into the large bowl and cover the bowl with a cloth. Set aside for one hour in a warm environment to allow the dough to rise.
- Sprinkle some more flour back onto your work surface and transfer the dough to the surface.
- Work the dough for a few minutes, rolling into a fat sausage shape, then splitting the dough in two.
- Tear the dough into small ball shapes and roll until each is smooth.
- Place the dough balls onto a baking sheet and place a cloth over the top. Rest in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Heat some oil in a large pan.
- Drop each ball into the hot oil, turning as needed. Fry for about five minutes until they are golden brown.
- Drain the fried balls on a piece of kitchen paper to help remove excess oil.
- Fill or top with your favorite ingredients if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 128kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 152mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!