Gastronomy in Morocco is a fascinating domain that gives visitors another chance to discover the Moroccan culture, an amazing fusion of cultures and colours, especially since Moroccan cuisine shows the variety of Moroccan society. The preparation of cakes expresses too the great savoir-faire of Moroccan women, who have done many efforts to develop and innovate in this domain, a discipline that has been transmitted from generation to generation and that, day after day, its shows that a successful balance between modernity and originality can be achieved.
In this article I intend to explore some of the specificities of preparing cakes in Morocco. I will also mention some of the most famous types of Moroccan cakes.
Variety is the key word if when talking about cakes in Morocco. First, visitors to Morocco will see that women in Morocco rely on totally natural products when preparing their cakes. The most common products used in cake baking are almonds, nuts, raisins, and rose water. All these products are usually used for decoration, perfuming or stuffing.
Also, Moroccan women prefer to use several motifs that depict and evoke nature, such as flowers, plants, fruits and some geometric patterns like triangles, circles, waves, etc.
Moreover, visitors will find different and varied types of cakes specific to each region in Morocco. We can say that cakes in Morocco can be divided into two main types: on the one hand, there are some cakes that are presented in everyday life with the tea, like "elfakass", which is a very simple cake, prepared with flour, sugar, oil, eggs, and sesame seeds. It can be perfumed with orange juice and has the shape of a half circle. The "ghoriba" is a round cake prepared with oil, icing sugar, flour and can be livened up with dates, honey, cinnamon, peanuts, etc.
On the other hand we can find some other types that are often presented in special occasions. Such is the case of, for example, the "chbakia", which is prepared with flour, butter, saffron, and some other ingredients depending on the regions. This cake can be irrigated with honey and decorated with sesame and almonds and is prepared for Ramadan.
There are also the "lebriwat", which are triangles prepared with very fine paste stuffed with almonds and sugar, fried in oil, and irrigated with honey. In addition to these, there are many other cakes elaborated for special occasions, such as the "lkaak", which can take many shapes and show different motifs and is presented during the "Achoura" day.
Also the "kaab ghzal" or "gazelle's horns", one of the most famous cakes in Morocco, are usually eaten in special occasions. They are in the shape of a crescent and are stuffed with an almond paste and perfumed with orange blossom essence.
Moroccan cakes can thus provide you with a clearer idea of the great civilisation of Morocco. Moreover, it shows the creativity of Moroccan women, as well as their knowledge and respect for tradition.
If you want to discover the delicious Moroccan cakes I invite you to come to Marrakech, where you will get an excellent chance to enjoy all types of Moroccan cakes and will certainly change your view of patisserie. The Ochre City is waiting for you and welcomes you with open arms, inviting you to enjoy some magical moments full of joy and happiness.
