Basque Cake Recipes

GâTEAU BASQUE RECIPE

Steps:

• Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan along with the orange zest.
• In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the vanilla extract, egg, extra egg yolk, flour, cornstarch, and sugar. It should form a paste.
• Add the milk mixture to the mixing bowl and stir thoroughly to combine.
• Pour back into the saucepan, place back over heat and continue to whisk. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened, whisking the whole time.
• Strain through a sieve into a sealable container and chill in the fridge.
• Mix the flour and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.
• Add the eggs (not the extra yolk) one at a time, continuing to beat.
• Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until smooth and completely combined.
• Transfer to a piping bag.
• Grease and line an 18-cm (7 inch) cake tin. Lightly dust the base and sides of the tin with flour after lining with baking parchment.
• Take the piping bag and carefully pipe a spiral of gateau mix to completely cover the base of the tin. Pipe a single circle around the outside of the tin to a height of just over 2 centimeters (1 inch).
• Fill the center of the tin with the pastry cream, smoothing down evenly.
• Pipe the remaining cake mix over the top of the pastry cream to seal, making sure the top is smooth and even. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes, and preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Take the tin out of the fridge.
• Combine the remaining egg yolk and 1/4 cup of milk, whisking slightly to mix evenly. Brush evenly over the top of the cake and use a fork or knife to score a faint diamond pattern on top. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve by itself or with a fruit jam!

BASQUE CAKE WITH CHERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch cake pan or spring-form pan. In a mixer with a whip attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually beat in the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Sift the cake flour, salt, and baking powder together and use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into this butter mixture until a soft dough forms and no white streaks of flour remain. Spread half the batter evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Stir the almond extract into the cherry preserves. Spoon the cherry preserves over the batter, spreading it within 2 inches of the border.
• Drop the remaining batter by large spoonfuls or pipe it with a plain tip over the preserves. Spread the batter carefully over the jam to the edge of the pan. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if using.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Unmold the cake and dust with confectioners' sugar.

GATEAU BASQUE

Steps:

• Make the pastry cream: Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk together milk and egg yolks in a glass measuring cup. Add milk mixture to the saucepan, along with butter. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer. Continue to cook until it comes to a boil. Let boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla and brandy.
• Strain pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Just before using, whisk until smooth.
• Make the cake: Combine cherries and brandy in a small bowl; let soak 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk pate brisee to a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom leaving edges to overhang. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pastry cream in a large bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula to loosen. Pour into chilled crust, spreading evenly with an offset spatula. Drain cherries and scatter evenly over pastry cream.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining disk of pate brisee to a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Score surface in a diamond pattern with the edge of a ruler. Lightly brush overhanging edge with egg and top with scored pastry. Press to seal and trim dough along edge of tart pan. Lightly brush top with egg wash. Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 20 minutes on a wire rack. Remove tart ring and cool completely on rack. Serve at room temperature.

BASQUE CAKE

Steps:

• Pastry: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Sift together flours and baking powder.
• Stir in ground almonds.
• In a food processor combine flour mixture with cold butter.
• Pulse several times until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• In a small bowl whisk together whole egg, egg yolks and sugar until smooth.
• Add to flour mixture and pulse again until mixture comes together.
• Turn onto a lightly floured surface.
• Divide dough in half.
• Roll out each half into quarter inch thick 10-inch circles.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Pastry Cream: In a medium bowl whisk together first amount of milk, egg yolks and cornstarch until smooth.
• Heat second amount of milk, sugar and vanilla in a heavy bottomed pot.
• When this mixture comes to a boil, slowly pour half of it over the egg yolk mixture while whisking briskly.
• Return mixture back to pot.
• Continue whisking 4 to 5 minutes until smooth and boiling.
• Remove from heat.
• Add ground almonds.
• Cover surface with plastic wrap.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Assembly.
• Line a flan ring with one layer of the rolled pastry.
• Pour in pastry cream and then top with second layer of pastry.
• Place flan ring on baking sheet.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden and set.
• Sour Cherry Sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Reduce to simmer and reduce by half.
• Strain and serve warm over cake.

BASQUE CAKE

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy.
• Gradually beat in the sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Sift the cake flour, salt, and baking powder together and use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into this butter mixture until a soft dough form and no white streaks of flour remain.
• Spread half the batter evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Stir the.
• almond extract, if using, into the cherry preserves.
• Spoon the cherry preserves over the batter, spreading it within 2 inches of the border.
• Drop the remaining batter by large spoonfuls over the preserves.
• Spread the batter carefully over the jam to the edge of the pan.
• Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if using.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
• Let cool in the pan on a wire rack.
• Unmold the cake and dust with confectioners sugar.