Gâteau Basque

Total Time
1.28 hours

Ingredients - Shortcrust

200 g all-purpose flour
12 g baking powder
130 g granulated sugar
140 g diced cold butter
some lemon zest
4 egg yolks

Ingredients - Pastry Cream

250 ml milk
0.5 vanilla bean
60 g granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
10 g all-purpose flour
15 g cornstarch
20 g butter
1 tsp rum (optional)
1 egg

Cookware

1 bowl
1 stiff rubber spatula
1 plastic film
1 sieve
1 tray
1 piping bag
1 parchment paper
1 high profile tart ring

Instructions - Shortcrust

Step 1

Sift the all-purpose flour into a bowl and stir in the baking powder and (after sifting) the granulated sugar.

Step 2

Add the diced cold butter and with your fingers and hands, rub it into the flour mixture until it starts to resemble sand. Rub any buttery clumps remaining between your hands to reduce them to sand-like grains.

Step 3

Grate some lemon zest into the mixture.

Step 4

Using a stiff rubber spatula, and with a hacking slicing type motion incorporate the egg yolks into the mixture until a dough is formed. Then slightly knead the dough and form it into a ball.

Step 5

On a lightly floured bench, flatten out the pastry using the palm of your hand and then roll it into a ball again.

Step 6

Divide the ball into 2 equal halves and use a scale to ensure the halves are equal. Flatten each half into a disc, wrap each in plastic film and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Instructions - Pastry Cream

Step 7

Heat the milk and the vanilla bean (scrape the seeds out of the pod into the milk before placing the pod in) on medium heat and bring to a gentle boil.

Step 8

Whilst the milk is coming to the boil, gently beat the granulated sugar into the egg yolks until the sugar dissolves, then mix in the all-purpose flour and cornstarch.

Step 9

Pour the heated milk through a sieve into the mixture and gently mix together and pass it through the sieve back into the pan. On a medium heat, bring back to the boil, whisking continuously.

Step 10

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and keep cooking for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter. The mixture should be smooth and thick.

Step 11

Scrape the cream into a tray and flatten it out to fill the tray. Cover the cream to prevent a crust from forming and place in the fridge until cold.

Instructions - Assembly

Step 12

Remove a disc of dough from the fridge and place it onto a sheet of plastic film and then place another sheet on top.

Step 13

Roll out the dough until the round disc is a diameter of 20 cm (8 inches). Place on a flat board and return to the fridge.

Step 14

Repeat the process with the second disc.

Step 15

Turn the pastry cream into a bowl, add the rum (optional) and mix together and place into a piping bag.

Step 16

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray. Remove one pastry disc from the fridge and place it on the parchment paper.

Step 17

Brush the egg wash on an 18 mm (3/4 inch) wide strip on the perimeter of the dough and then pipe the pastry cream to cover the rest of the disc. Flatten it with a spatula but be careful not to spread it over the egg wash.

Step 18

Remove the second pastry disc and place it on top of the first disc with the pastry cream.

Step 19

Seal the pastry cream in the discs by flattening the rim of the second disc on the egg wash on the first disc.

Step 20

Place a high profile tart ring over the cake and push down to cut through the rim of the dough and remove the off cuts.

Step 21

Brush the top of the cake with egg wash and decorate the top with four crisscross lines gently scratched with a fork (or any design you like really.)

Step 22

Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) (fan forced) and keep the cake in the fridge while the oven is heating.

Step 23

Bake the cake for 45 minutes.

Step 24

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool and remove the tart ring (if necessary, run a knife along the inside of the ring to help remove it).