More About Cakes and Specialities

Our Cakes and Specialities collection brings French patisserie-style desserts to your fridge: clafoutis, crème brûlée, îles flottantes, rum baba, fraisier, lemon tart, chocolate fondants, tiramisu and canelés. Epicerie Corner stocks individual and sharing desserts from Bonne Maman, La Laitière, Rians, Délisse and Yoplait, delivered across the UK.

French Desserts from the Pâtisserie Tradition

France has a rich tradition of desserts, many of them born in pastry shops or family kitchens: the clafoutis from the Limousin, a baked batter studded with cherries; the crème brûlée with its crackling caramelised top; île flottante (floating island), a cloud of poached meringue on vanilla custard; the baba au rhum, a yeasted cake soaked in rum syrup; and the canelé from Bordeaux, a small fluted cake with a dark caramelised crust and a soft, custardy centre. French dairy and dessert brands now make ready-to-eat versions of these classics in individual pots and portions, so a patisserie dessert is always to hand.

Desserts in Our Range

Bonne Maman Pâtisseries

Bonne Maman's chilled pâtisserie range includes a Rum Baba, an apple Tarte Tatin, a Lemon Pie, a strawberry Fraisier, a Black Forest gâteau, a Moka coffee cake, a chocolate Cœur Coulant (molten-centre cake), a chocolate soufflé, a lemon cottage cheese cake and a crème caramel made with fresh eggs. See the full Bonne Maman collection for jams and biscuits too.

La Laitière Classics

La Laitière, recognisable by the milkmaid painted by Vermeer on its packs, offers Cherry Clafoutis, apricot clafoutis and apple clafoutis Tatin-style, an almond and pear Amandine, a Belgian chocolate moelleux, a crème brûlée with a sachet of sugar to caramelise, îles flottantes with caramel, egg custards (crèmes aux œufs) in vanilla or on a bed of caramel, and chocolate profiteroles.

Rians, Délisse and Yoplait

Rians, a family dairy, makes a crème brûlée, a dark chocolate fondant, a chocolate tartlet and a red fruit panna cotta. Délisse offers cherry clafoutis, coffee tiramisu and speculoos tiramisu. Yoplait's Île Flottante and Île Gourmande are lighter, egg-free milk desserts inspired by the floating island. Bio Village adds an organic tiramisu, and Saint Amour a lemon fromage blanc cake.

Canelés de Bordeaux

Les Délices de Bordeaux large canelés, in a pack of six, bring the Bordeaux speciality with its rum and vanilla flavour.

How to Choose Your Dessert

• Fruity: clafoutis, tarte Tatin, fraisier, lemon tart or panna cotta with red fruits.
• Chocolate: cœur coulant, fondant, moelleux, soufflé, chocolate tartlet or profiteroles.
• Creamy: crème brûlée, crème caramel, egg custards and îles flottantes.
• Coffee: Moka cake and tiramisu.
• Allergens: these desserts contain milk and usually egg and wheat; the rum baba contains alcohol. Check each product page.

Serving Tips

Most of these desserts are chilled: keep them in the fridge and follow the storage instructions and dates on each pack. Some can be warmed: a few seconds in the microwave turns a chocolate cœur coulant or fondant into a warm, melting dessert, and clafoutis is delicious slightly warm. For crème brûlée, sprinkle the sugar sachet over the cream and caramelise it with a kitchen blowtorch or under a very hot grill just before serving. Serve tarte Tatin with a spoonful of crème fraîche, and canelés at room temperature with coffee. For more ideas, browse Desserts.

French Dessert FAQs

What is a clafoutis?

Clafoutis is a baked dessert from the Limousin region, made by pouring a sweet batter of eggs, milk, sugar and flour over fruit, traditionally black cherries. Versions with other fruits, such as apricots or apples, are sometimes called flaugnarde.

Can I caramelise crème brûlée without a blowtorch?

Yes. Sprinkle the sugar evenly, then place the pots under a very hot grill for a short time, watching closely until the sugar melts and turns golden. A blowtorch gives more control, but a grill works well.

What is a canelé?

A canelé is a small cake from Bordeaux, baked in a fluted copper mould. It has a thick, dark, caramelised crust and a soft, moist centre flavoured with vanilla and rum. It is eaten at room temperature, often with coffee.

What is the difference between an île flottante and oeufs à la neige?

Both are poached meringue served on crème anglaise. Traditionally, oeufs à la neige uses several small spoonfuls of meringue, while île flottante uses one large meringue "island". The names are often used interchangeably in France.