Gâteau Basque (Basque Cake with pastry cream)

Halfway between a cake and a pie, the classic Basque Cake, known as “Gâteau Basque”, is a staple from southern France and northern Spain – the lands of the Basque people. It has a deliciously rich and buttery double layered crust encasing a delicious pastry cream.

Although locals tradtionally serve this cake to accompany coffee or tea, its elegant crosshatch pattern on the top gives it a rustic charm and makes this cake plenty elegant for special occasions, or as a centerpiece for dessert.

What is a Gâteau Basque (Basque Cake with pastry cream)?

Gâteau Basque is a culinary fixture from the Basque region, straddling between the southern French and northern Spanish border. The region is known as a food mecca for French people, and its rich culinary repertoire is held in high esteem like other “foodie” regions like Provence, Burgundy, or Brittany.

Amongst the most popular recipes from Basque Country, you can find the “Poulet Basquaise” and the “Piperade” – both recipes you can find in my cookbook – and of course, the Gâteau Basque.

Known as “etxeko bixkotxa” in Basque, the Gâteau was invented in the mid-19th century by Marianne Hirigoyen, a baker from Cambo-Les-Bains who started to sell the cake at local markets. Gâteau Basque’s fame would continue to grow and was adopted all around France. 

If you ever plan on visiting Basque country, the Gâteau Basque festival continues to be run every year in Cambo-les-Bains. There is also a charming little museum dedicated to the cake in the neighboring town of Sare.

Gâteau Basque has 2 components: a crust and a filling. Two traditional versions exist of the Basque cake – one filled with preserved cherries, usually bearing the “lauburu” (Basque cross) and the second one filled with “crème patissière” (French pastry cream) bearing a crosshatched pattern.

Having tasted both versions many times, I can say they are equally delicious – although the latter version with pastry cream is a bit richer and fancier, better suited for big occasions.

We construct this recipe from two layers of buttery crust filled with a vanilla pastry cream. The crust for a Gâteau Basque is half-way between a cookie and a pie crust: less sweet than a cookie but sweeter than your average pie crust. It is buttery and crisp on the outside and slightly chewy in the middle.

Ingredients you’ll need for a Gâteau Basque (Basque Cake)

Like most Basque cooking, this recipe is based on simple ingredients and simple techniques, although it does require a few more extra steps than your average cake. Perhaps more importantly, the quality and freshness of the ingredients you choose will make a big difference.

For the crust:

1. Sugar. White sugar works best.
2.Flour. All purpose flour works best here.
4.Butter and Salt. Make sure you use unsalted, high-quality butter. Adding the salt separately ensures you don’t oversalt your crust. The butter should be at room temperature, meaning it should be slightly softened.
5.Eggs and egg yolks. Use fresh, organic eggs if possible. We need 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks. Egg yolks add richness and make for a tender crust.

For the pastry cream:

1.Milk. Whole milk, rather than 2% or skim will provide a creamier texture for the vanilla custard.
2.Sugar. White sugar works best.
3.Flour. Like with most rustic creams and custards, we thicken this one with flour rather than cornstarch.
4. Eggs. Use room temperature eggs.
5.Vanilla extract and rum. We finish the smooth pastry cream with a splash of rum, to add depth of flavor. You can opt for dark or light rum.

6.Egg yolk and milk. At the end, mix egg yolk with a splash of milk to create the egg wash that gives this cake its lovely golden top.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you store a Gâteau Basque ?

Once completely cooled, you can cover the Basque Cake with a plastic film and refrigerate it for up to 4 days.

I don’t recommend freezing this cake. When pastry cream thaws, it weeps and create excess moisture, making the crust soggy.

My pastry cream curdled or feels grainy. What went wrong?

This typically occurs if you cook your pastry cream at too high of a heat. When the heat is too high, even if you whisk continuously, you run the risk of the eggs cooking too quickly and forming little lumps or grains. Unfortunately, this can’t be fixed, and you need to start again – at a lower heat.

How do you enjoy a Gâteau Basque?

A Basque Cake is best enjoyed the day it is made, although you can keep it for up to 4 days. Enjoy it cut in hefty slices with a cup of tea or coffee – just like they do in Basque Country.

I personally think it also make a great dessert for special occasions, as it’s so rich, delicious, and unique looking.

Audrey’s tips:

• You need a large 10-inch tart pan for this cake recipe. Ideally choose one with a removable bottom so the Gâteau is easier to remove once baked.
• Plan ahead: the cake needs to cool completely for several hours before serving. If you don’t wait long enough, the pastry cream won’t be set enough when you slice the cake.
• Be careful not to overwork the dough when rolling it out to keep it tender and crumbly.
• Make sure to chill the pastry dough before rolling it out. This helps with its texture and ease of handling.
• Let your vanilla custard cool down to room temperature before you pour it over the bottom crust, or it will make your butter sweat, and the crust won’t be as crisp.
• Once you master this classic version, you can experiment with different fillings, such as black cherry jam.

I hope you’ll love this Gâteau Basque (Basque Cake with pastry cream) recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. 

More French cake recipes to try:

• Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake (Reine de Saba)
• Lemon Olive Oil Cake
• Classic French Apple Cake 
• Chestnut Cream Cake (Gateau Ardechois)
• French Walnut Coffee Cake (Gateau Grenoblois)
• Classic French Spiced Bread (Pain d’Epices)
• Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
• French-style Fruit Cake (Cake aux  Fruits Confits)

Gâteau Basque (Basque Cake with pastry cream)

Print Recipe

Serves: 8-10 Prep Time: 50 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

For the crust:
1 cup (200g) white sugar
4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
1 cup + 1 tbsp (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

For the pastry cream:
4 cups (1L) whole milk
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup (80g) all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp (15g) rum, white or dark

For the topping:
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp (15ml) milk

Instructions

Step 1 - Prepare the crust. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the softened butter, the eggs and egg yolks and start mixing with a large wooden spoon or by hand. Mix until you have a round ball of dough. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts, wrap in plastic film and chill for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the pastry cream.

Step 2 - Prepare the pastry cream. Warm up the milk in a large saucepan over medium heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, sugar, all-purpose flour, and eggs. While continuously whisking, slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture. Whisk until homogenous and transfer back into the saucepan, over medium heat. Whisk steadily for several minutes until the mixture thickens to a thin custard consistency. Remove from heat and whisk in the rum.

Pre-heat your oven at 350F (180C) with a rack in the middle.

Step 3 - Assemble the cake. Butter and flour a 10-inch tart pan. Roll-out the first piece of dough to 3-4 mm thickness, onto a piece of parchment paper. Flip the rolled dough onto the tart pan and unpeel the parchment paper on top. Don’t worry about the edges that hang over the dish.

Step 4 - Pour the pastry cream into the pan and spread it out. Roll-out the second piece of dough onto a piece of parchment paper, flip it over top of the pastry cream and unpeel the parchment paper. Press the edges together using your rolling pin to remove the hanging pastry dough. Using your thumb, slightly push the edges inwards (just a few mm) to ensure they don’t stick to the pan.

Step 5 - Whisk together the milk and the egg yolk and brush it over top the cake. With a fork, score a crosshatch pattern on top.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden.

Let the cake cool for at least 1 hour before removing from pan and serving.