gâteau

American  

[ga-toh, gah-, gah-toh] / gæˈtoʊ, gɑ-, gɑˈtoʊ /

noun

French Cooking.

plural

gâteaux

1. a cake, especially a very light sponge cake with a rich icing or filling.

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gateau British  

/ ˈɡætəʊ /

noun

1. any of various elaborate cakes, usually layered with cream and richly decorated

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Etymology

Origin of gâteau

1835–45; < French; Old French gastel (compare Middle English wastel < Old North French ) < Frankish *wastil, perhaps akin to Old English, Old Saxon wist food, nourishment

Example Sentences

Her most popular items include wondrously fluffy souffle cheesecake, minimally sweet strawberry cake and a tender single-layer matcha gâteau.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 25, 2023

A cake reminiscent of Black Forest gâteau but with more chocolaty depth.

From New York Times • Jul. 25, 2022

Also, gâteau de crêpes, which is an insanely challenging dish.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2022

When to go: There’s no bad time to visit, though some swear that spring takes the gâteau.

From Washington Post • Feb. 13, 2020

This is the stage where it is used for icing fruit and cake, the dish being called fruit glacé or gâteau glacé.

From Miss Parloa's New Cook Book by Parloa, Maria