Basque cake

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by Pastry Chef Angelo Musa

Servings 5 cakes people
Prep : 60 minutes
Cooking : 30 minutes

Ingredients

Basque cake:

120 g wholemeal flour
120 g T55 flour
140 g la Perruche Cassonade brown sugar
4 g fine salt
9 g baking powder
160 g unsalted butter
70 g egg yolks
5 g vanilla powder
3 g Madras curry powder (without garlic)
1 g ground cinnamon

Chestnut-polenta pastry cream:

40 g egg yolks
20 g la Perruche Cassonade brown sugar
12 g Maïzena® cornflour
250 g milk
20 g polenta
1 g lemon zest
50 chestnut paste
20 g butter
50 g chestnut cream

Candied Buddha’s hand:

200 g lemon juice
200 g orange juice
100 g la Perruche Cassonade brown sugar
200 g Buddha’s hand

Directions

Basque cake:
1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth. Roll out to a thickness of 5 mm, then set aside in the fridge.
2. Chestnut-polenta pastry cream: Make a pastry cream by mixing the egg yolks, brown sugar and cornflour.
3. In a saucepan, heat the milk with the polenta and zest and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chestnut paste until completely dissolved.
4. Pour in the pastry cream and bring to the boil. Add the butter, then the chestnut cream and mix well again. Cool quickly.
5. Whisk before use for a creamy texture.
Candied Buddha’s hand:
1. In a saucepan, heat the juices together with the sugar and cook until simmering.
2. Using a mandolin, cut the Buddha’s hand into thin slices, then dip them into the syrup to candy them until they become translucent, about 20 minutes.
Assembly and finishing:
1. Start by cutting out two 11.5 cm-diameter pastry circles. Using a pastry bag fitted with a 10-mm tip, pipe the chestnut-polenta pastry cream up to 1 cm from the edge (about 45 g), then decorate with candied chestnuts as desired.
2. Cover the entire surface with thin slices of candied Buddha’s hand, then place the second circle on top, seal together and set aside to cool.
3. Butter a ring mould measuring 12 cm in diameter and 3 cm high and sprinkle with la Perruche Cassonade brown sugar. Gently turn the cake over and brush with egg yolks only. Wait about ten minutes before applying a second coat.
4. Mark with a fork to create the pattern. Place in the centre of the ring, preferably on a silicone baking mat, and bake in a fan-assisted oven at 160°C for around 25 minutes.
5. Decorate, for example, with half a candied chestnut and a few beautifully arranged slices of candied Buddha’s hand.

Chef's tip

“Originality” is the name of the game for this Basque cake ! Both when it comes to the pastry and the filling. I chose a seasonal filling with a chestnut cream and thin slices of Buddha’s hand candied in brown sugar. And I’ve finished by piquing your curiosity with a hint of Madras curry powder in the pastry for added depth of flavour. Using brown sugar inside and out supplements the flavours and brings out the bite of the pastry just a little more !