What's Pâte d’Amande vs Pâte de Mariée vs massepain?

Now this is a question we get asked almost too often. 

Let’s set the scene: You walk into your Mauritian grandma’s kitchen and ask, “Can I have some Pâte d’Amande?” She hands you a dense, sweet almond-scented slice of cake. Your cousin walks in and says, “You mean Pâte de Mariée.” Suddenly, it’s war. Somewhere in the distance, someone mutters “Oh there's Massepain”, and things escalate.

So which is which? Honestly, we were also confused when we first started but we spent some (too much) time talking to people and looking into this as we were developing our recipes. So grab a cup of tea and let’s break it down. 

PâTE D'AMANDE

The name Pâte d’Amande translates from French to “almond paste.” Historically, this term refers to marzipan - a sugary almond mixture used in confections across Europe. But in Mauritius, Pâte d’Amande evolved into something uniquely its own: a moist, buttery cake infused with almond flavour, and in some cases made with almond meal or crushed almonds (like ours at The Whisktakers 😇) for that extra deep and nutty flavour.

PâTE DE MARIéE

Pâte de Mariée, literally translates to “bride’s paste" and as it's name suggests, you’ll often find it at weddings or engagements as it was seen as an elevated version of the Pâte d’Amande. It's like the pâte d’amande got married and went on a honeymoon to the tropics then came back with sultanas, glacé cherries, and dried fruits in her suitcase. 

MASSEPAIN - the OG BUTTERCAKE

Interestingly, the word Massepain ALSO refers to marzipan but in Mauritius, it's the classic buttercake and  generally has no almond paste or crushed almonds in it (+ sometimes your auntie will add green or pink food colouring in it just for fun)... confused? Yup we are too! ​This one’s the low-key cousin who doesn't crave attention but somehow ends up on every dessert table anyway.

Fun fact: ​Mauritians love almond flavour like Aussies love Vegemite. If it smells like almond shampoo, you’re probably doing it right 😉

For many Mauritians living overseas, Pâte d’amande is the taste of home, the scent of family gatherings, and the flavour of old traditions passed down through generations. At The Whisktakers, we bake it just like it’s meant to be: dense, rich, and unapologetically nostalgic.

It also happens to be the cake that launched our custom cake business. One humble almond cake, baked from scratch in a small home kitchen, quickly became a customer favourite... and still is, ten years later.