In short: after raclette, the right cake is light or fruity. Tangy fruit tarts, airy sponges like Savoy cake and Alpine specialities are our favourites; very rich cakes (molten chocolate cake, cheesecake) go down better in small slices. Here are 35 ideas, from grandma’s classics to mountain treats, with a few ideas for the festive season.
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The right cake for a raclette evening
A raclette is a hearty meal, and often a long one. In our opinion, the ideal cake ticks three boxes: it can be made the day before or that morning, it’s served cold or warm, and it brings acidity or lightness. So fruit tarts and light sponges often win out over cream cakes.
Fruit tarts
- Blueberry tart: the mountain dessert par excellence.
- Tarte Tatin: caramelised apples, served warm, with a little cream.
- Thin apple tart: puff pastry and apple slices.
- Lemon meringue tart: the perfect acidity after cheese.
- Pear and almond tart (tarte bourdaloue): meltingly soft.
- Damson plum tart: at the end of the season.
- Raspberry tart: with frozen fruit in winter.
- Walnut and caramel tart: for those with a sweet tooth.
- Rhubarb tart: tangy, in spring.
- Apricot tart: a tinned memory of summer.
Light cakes
- Savoy cake (gâteau de Savoie): a very airy sponge, served with berries.
- Swiss roll with jam: simple and light.
- Yoghurt cake: the first cake many French children ever bake.
- Lemon loaf cake: keeps for several days.
- Madeleines: to dunk in a herbal tea.
- Financiers: small, so sensible.
- Orange cake: moist and fragrant.
- Angel cake: no egg yolks, very light.
Specialities from the Alps and nearby
- Engadine walnut tart (Engadiner Nusstorte): walnuts and caramel under shortcrust pastry, to cut into thin slices.
- Zug kirsch cake (Zuger Kirschtorte): sponge, meringue and kirsch, for grown-ups.
- Linzer Torte: almond pastry and raspberry jam.
- Apfelstrudel: apples, raisins and cinnamon in thin pastry.
- Walnut and honey cake: the flavour of the valleys.
- Bricelets: thin, crisp wafers, to serve with cream.
- Vaud cream tart (gâteau à la crème vaudois, or “salée au sucre”): pastry and sweetened cream, very simple.
- Gingerbread (pain d’épices): sliced thinly.
Festive cakes
- Yule log (bûche de Noël): fruit or coffee rather than all chocolate, after raclette.
- Galette des rois (King cake): in January, to finish an Epiphany raclette.
- Stollen: Christmas bread with candied fruit.
- Panettone: in slices, toasted for a minute on the grill plate.
- Gâteau basque: with black cherry.
Indulgent ones, in small slices
- Molten chocolate cake (fondant au chocolat): a thin slice, with a sorbet.
- Cheesecake: cheese after cheese, for purists of the theme.
- Black Forest gateau: chocolate, cherries and cream.
- Carrot cake: spiced, with its frosting.
And on the raclette grill?
No big cake in a little pan, but a cherry clafoutis, a brioche French toast with gingerbread or a mini crumble cook very well in it. All our ideas are in raclette grill desserts.
Our tips (editor’s opinion)
- Make it the day before: the raclette evening already takes over the table and the kitchen.
- Cut small slices: after raclette, a thin slice is enough, and you can always go back for more.
- Serve with something tangy: berry coulis, citrus segments or lemon sorbet, see our ice creams and sorbets.
The other desserts in the pantry
Find all our desserts, including creams and spoon desserts and the best fruit. Back to the pantry.
Frequently asked questions
Which cake should you serve after raclette?
In our opinion, a light or fruity cake: blueberry tart, lemon tart, Tarte Tatin or Savoy cake with berries.
Can you bake a cake in a raclette machine?
Not a big cake, but individual desserts: clafoutis in a pan, brioche French toast on the grill plate or a mini fruit crumble.
Which Alpine speciality should you serve for dessert?
Engadine walnut tart, Zug kirsch cake, Apfelstrudel or a blueberry tart are good ideas to keep the mountain mood going.
