When you go to the Basque Country, you simply have to taste the gâteau basque — well, the gâteaux basques: the one with crème pâtissière, the one with cherry jam, even « the diplomatic one » that layers cherry jam over the cream. It’s a bit like coming back from Brittany without having eaten several kouign-amann! Unthinkable! Last summer we ate a great many. I even signed up for a pastry class to learn everything about this dessert. When I got home, I made a few. And those who know me know that I quickly took out a little butter, a little sugar — well, as usual. If you want to keep eating it for years, you have to spare the horse!!! So here’s my current recipe!
To make cherry gâteau basque, you need cherry jam from Itxassou…. Not easy to find in Nantes, unless you make the cake after a holiday in the Basque Country.
If you’re in Nantes, you can buy it at Les Côteaux Nantais. It’s very good — not too sweet, and it has pieces of fruit… just like the Basque one ^^
You need to make the dough the day before… before my Basque Country holiday, I’d tried making it without resting the dough… it was impossible to roll out!
So, the day before, make the dough. First whisk the liquid ingredients (soft butter, eggs, rum) with the sugar, then add the flour all at once with the baking powder folded in (sift the flour and baking powder together so the powder is well mixed in).
It should form a ball like in the photo opposite.
If it doesn’t, add a little more flour.
Wrap the ball in cling film and put it in the fridge.
The next day, split your dough in two. One part should be bigger — it will line the base of the dish and come slightly up the sides. The top one is simply laid over the filling.
On a floured surface, roll the dough out fairly thinly, because the baking powder will make the cake rise and could leave it dry if you keep it too thick (especially as, if you’ve followed my proportions, we haven’t used much butter).
Lay it in a buttered tin, letting it overhang. You can use a tart tin or a sponge tin.
Roll out the second piece on the work surface, flouring it again. Before laying the second piece on, fill the tart with the cherry jam.
Bake for 40 minutes at 160 °C.
If you have dough left over, you can roll it out and cut little shortbread biscuits with a cutter.
Bake them for 13 minutes at 180 °C.
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