Description
Gateau Basque is a traditional French cake featuring a buttery pastry crust filled with delicious pastry cream or almond cream. This recipe guides you through making the tender dough from scratch, filling it with creamy custard, and baking to golden perfection. Perfect for dessert lovers who enjoy rich, creamy, and slightly nutty flavors in a comforting cake.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon almond extract
Filling
- 1 cup pastry cream or almond cream
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan to ensure the cake doesn’t stick during baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder until evenly combined, creating the base for your dough.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In another bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and sugar until creamy and pale, which helps achieve a light and tender texture in the dough.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Incorporate the large egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the butter mixture, mixing thoroughly until everything is well combined.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring continuously to form a smooth, cohesive dough.
- Chill Dough: Divide the dough into two equal discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the dough, making it easier to handle and roll.
- Roll Out Bottom Dough: On a floured surface, roll out one piece of dough to fit the bottom of your prepared 9-inch cake pan, ensuring an even layer.
- Add Filling: Place the rolled dough into the pan and spread the pastry cream or almond cream evenly over the base dough.
- Roll Out Top Dough and Seal: Roll out the second dough disc to cover the filling. Carefully lay it over the filling and seal the edges by pressing firmly to encase the cream.
- Decorate and Egg Wash: Brush the top of the cake with egg wash to give it a golden, shiny finish when baked. Optionally, create a decorative pattern using a fork on the top surface.
- Bake: Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the cake is cooked through.
- Cool: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes to set, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before serving to ensure perfect texture and flavor.
Notes
- You can use either traditional pastry cream or almond cream based on your preference for the filling.
- Chilling the dough is key to handle it easily and avoid shrinking during baking.
- The almond extract adds an authentic nutty flavor typical of Gateau Basque.
- Ensure the cake is fully cooled before slicing for clean, neat cuts.
