Gâteau Basque

Name: Gâteau Basque
Cook time: 200 min
Total time: 200 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Basque
Ingredients: 320g All-purpose Flour; 200g Unsalted Butter, softened; 180g Granulated Sugar; 2 Large Eggs; 5g Baking Powder; 1/4 tsp Fine Salt; 1 Lemon, zest, finely grated; 500ml Whole Milk; 1 Vanilla Bean, split and scraped; 4 Egg Yolks, large; 100g Granulated Sugar; 40g Cornstarch; 20g Unsalted Butter; 1 tbsp Dark Rum; 1 Egg Yolk, for egg wash; 1 tsp Water, for egg wash

Gâteau Basque is a tender, buttery cake from the Basque region filled with a rich, vanilla-scented pastry cream and a hint of dark rum. The cookie-like dough forms a golden, slightly crisp crust that contrasts beautifully with the smooth, fragrant filling. It’s elegant yet homey—perfect for a special tea or dessert.

Gâteau Basque is a tender, buttery cake from the Basque region filled with a rich, vanilla-scented pastry cream and a hint of dark... Show more

es-pv Traditional Basque Recipe

Health Grade

E · Indulgent

Rating

4.5

Time

3 hrs

Price

0,53 €

Calories

599 kcal

vegetarian

holiday/special occasion

french

mediterranean

Method

Make pastry cream

Split the Vanilla Bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Warm the Whole Milk with the pod and seeds in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming and just below a boil. In a bowl, whisk the Egg Yolks, Granulated Sugar, and Cornstarch until smooth, then slowly whisk in the hot milk. Return everything to the pan and cook, whisking constantly, until the cream is thick and glossy; once it bubbles, keep it there for 1 minute more. Off the heat, whisk in the Unsalted Butter and Dark Rum until the filling is silky.

Chill the cream

Scrape the custard into a shallow bowl, press a cover directly on the surface so no skin forms, and chill until cold and firm enough to spread, at least 45 minutes. You can make the dough while it chills.

Make the dough

In a large bowl, stir together the All-purpose Flour, Baking Powder, and Fine Salt. Rub in the softened Unsalted Butter until the mixture looks like damp sand, then mix in the remaining Granulated Sugar, Large Eggs, and Lemon zest just until a soft dough comes together.

Chill the dough

Divide the dough into two pieces, making one about two-thirds of the total for the base. Flatten each piece into a disk, cover them, and chill until firm enough to roll, 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 350° F.

Assemble the cake

Press the larger dough disk into the bottom and sides of a round cake pan, keeping the layer even. Spoon the cold pastry cream into the center and spread it almost to the edges. Roll out the second dough disk on a lightly floured counter and lay it over the filling, then pinch the edges closed and trim any excess. Beat the remaining Egg Yolk with the Water, brush a thin layer over the top, and score a crisscross pattern with a fork or the tip of a knife.

Bake the cake

Bake until the top is deeply golden and the crust feels set, 35 to 40 minutes. If the center puffs a little, that is normal.

Cool completely

Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes so it firms up, then run a thin knife around the edge, turn it onto a rack, and cool for 40 minutes more, or until fully set, before slicing and serving.