Gâteau Basque
This traditional Basque dessert is similar to a gâteau breton (brittany butter cake), but very moist as it is filled with a rum-flavoured confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream).
This is a fairly simple recipe, though as the dough is fragile and difficult to handle, I offer a useful tip to make this easier.
This is a fairly simple recipe, though as the dough is fragile and difficult to handle, I offer a useful tip to make this easier.
73 K 4.8/5 (20 reviews)
2 hours 55 min.
Easy
3 gâteaux
13 IngredientsLast modified on: September 11th 2018
For 3 gâteaux, you will need:
- 1
12 egg yolks - 2
1 cup caster sugar - 3
4 cups + 3 tablespoons whole milk - 4
1⁄3 cup cornflour - 5
6 tablespoons rum - 6
6 cups flour - 7
1 2⁄3 cup butter - 8 2 ½ cups caster sugar
- 9
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar - 10
6 eggs - 11
2 tablespoons baking powder - 12
1.5 teaspoon fine (or table) salt - 13
1⁄3 cup beaten egg
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 1 hour 8 min.
Resting: 1 hour 3 min.
Cooking: 40 min.
All in all: 2 hours 55 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 30 min.
Prepare the confectioner's custard with 12 egg yolks, 1 cup caster sugar, 4 cups + 3 tablespoons whole milk and 1⁄3 cup cornflour, using the method explained here.
When the custard is cooked, add 6 tablespoons rum, mix well and cover.
Set aside in the refrigerator.
When the custard is cooked, add 6 tablespoons rum, mix well and cover.
Set aside in the refrigerator.
Stage 2 - 5 min.
Put into a food-mixer bowl: 6 cups flour, 1 2⁄3 cup butter, 2 ½ cups caster sugar, 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar, 6 eggs, 2 tablespoons baking powder and 1.5 teaspoon fine (or table) salt.
Stage 3 - 5 min.
Start kneading and stop as soon as the dough is evenly mixed.
Stage 4 - 2 min.
Weigh the dough and divide into 2 unequal parts: 1/4 and 3/4.
Stage 5 - 7 min.
Roll out the smaller piece of dough between 2 sheets of cooking parchment into a circle...
Stage 6 - 7 min.
...the size of your tin or mould.
Using 2 sheets of cooking parchment makes it easier to roll out the soft, fragile dough.
Using 2 sheets of cooking parchment makes it easier to roll out the soft, fragile dough.
Stage 7 - 1 hour
Then roll out the larger piece of dough, again using 2 sheets of cooking parchment, into a circle a little larger (by about 1 inch / 2 or 3 cm) than your tin.
Lay both circles, still in their papers, on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Lay both circles, still in their papers, on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Stage 8 - 3 min.
After this, the dough will be firmer and easier to handle.
Take the larger circle out of the fridge, carefully remove the paper and lay the dough in the tin.
Preheat your oven at 360°F (180°C).
Take the larger circle out of the fridge, carefully remove the paper and lay the dough in the tin.
Preheat your oven at 360°F (180°C).
Stage 9 - 4 min.
Fill the case with the rum-flavoured custard and level the top.
Stage 10
Turn the edges of the dough in towards the centre.
Stage 11 - 2 min.
Take the remaining circle out of the fridge, carefully remove the paper and lay in the tin like a "lid" on top of the custard filling.
Stage 12 - 3 min.
Glaze the top of the cake.
Stage 13 - 3 min.
If you like, you can decorate the top by marking the dough with a fork. Use a bit of pressure, or the marks will disappear during cooking.
Stage 14 - 40 min.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Best eaten cold, the gâteau Basque will only improve if kept for a day or two.
Best eaten cold, the gâteau Basque will only improve if kept for a day or two.
Remarks
For an even more pronounced rum flavour, add a tablespoonful to the bowl before mixing the dough.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, covered with plastic film.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 230 RDI=90 % | 1,680 RDI=160 % | 470 RDI=70 % | 11,660 RDI=580 % | 48,830 RDI: 580 % |
| Per 100 g | 5 RDI=2 % | 40 RDI=4 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 300 RDI=20 % | 1,270 RDI: 20 % |
| Per gâteau | 80 RDI=30 % | 560 RDI=50 % | 160 RDI=20 % | 3,890 RDI=190 % | 16,280 RDI: 190 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 3 gâteaux : 9.60 €
- Per gâteau : 3.20 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Whole milk
Like these other recipes: Celeriac soup with mustard, Canadian rice pudding, Auvergne gratin, Peach and verbena feuilleté, Gnocchi alla romana, ... See them all 67
Flour
Like these other recipes: Hazelnut and orange cake, Traditional nutty choc-chip cookies, Liège waffles, Oat financiers for Louise, Dublin fruit scones, ... See them all 201
Butter
Like these other recipes: Nicholas's fish, Moist cereal bars, Passion fruit jellies, Puff or flaky pastry (pâte feuilletée), Sautéed oyster mushrooms, ... See them all 472
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: French Family Cake, Vanilla ice cream, Little cakes with a chocolate and hazelnut centre, Fresh mint ice-cream, Lime (or lemon) curd, ... See them all 360
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