Gâteau à la broche

The Gâteau à la broche, or cake on a spit, was first brought to France by Napoleon’s soldiers retreating from battle in Russia.

As a reminder that losing isn’t always bad, the soldiers carried the recipe with them after their defeat. Two hundred years later, the French cake tradition keeps on spinning.

Although the cake is considered rare, according to Slow Food, the tradition is alive and well in two French regions: Hautes-Pyrénées and Aveyron.