Gateaux Basque

Gateaux Basque is originated from a town in south of France. It is now famous at everywhere and different flavors of Gateaux was created by different chefs. I read this recipe from a french recipe book, the chef was using the traditional recipe by adding some cooked apple to make it more interesting. I noticed many people add blueberries, cherries or other fruits instead.

It has a crumbly texture from the outside and soft texture from the inside which has contained with some cooked apple and custard. French named the custard as "Cream Patissier". European will love this cake as it's rich and buttery flavor. I would love it when I'm looking for something rich to fill my appetite and this is the one!

Recipe for one round tin 18cm x 3.5cm

For the Basque Pastry: 133g Butter / 133g plain flour / 67 ground almond / 2.6g Baking powder / 46g Egg yolks / pinch of salt / 100g sugar powder / 6g rum

For the Cream Patissier: 333g milk / 33g sugar / 1 teaspoon vanilla extract / 53g egg yolks / 33g sugar / 26g plain flour / 6g corn flour / 8g butter / some egg wash

Cooked apple : 2 large cooked apple / some sugar and butter / 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method for the Cream Patissier:

1. Warm the milk with sugar in a sauce pan.
2. In another mixing bowl, mix the yolks with sugar then slowly add in plain flour and corn flour.
3. When the sugar melted in the warm milk, add it to (2) the yolks mixture. Add little by little until everything combine.
4. Pour it back to the pan at low heat. Keep stirring with the hand whisk until its thicken.
5. Off the heat and keep stirring for couple of minutes, add in the vanilla extract then the butter.
6. When everything combined. Pour it into a bowl and cover with cling film. Let it completely cool down and place it into the fridge for 4 hours or overnight and its ready to use.

Method for the cooked apple:

1. Peel the apples and cut into 8 slices. You would have 16 slices.
2. Grease a baking pan with butter then sprinkle with some sugar. Place the apples into the baking pan.
3. Place some butter on top of the apples and bake at 180'C for about 1 hour. Sometimes it depends on what apples you are using. So keep an eye on it, the apple should have a little soft. Sprinkle with some cinnamon powder on the apple after 40 minutes baking.

Methods for the Gateaux:

1. Mix the egg yolks with salt and rum together.
2. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar powder.
3. Mix the egg yolks mixture (1) to the butter mixture (2). (Add little by little)
4. Add in flour and mix until everything combine.
5. Wrap it into a cling film and flatten it into 1cm thick. Place it into fridge to sit for 3 hours.
6. After 3 hours, cut out 2 pieces of 18cm round shape and place one into the tin. (Do this with a cling film would be much easier)
7. Continue to make about 3.5 cm long shape to fit the side of the cake tin. (If the mixture start to melt, place it back to the fridge until it could be easy to handle)
8. Fill in the cream patissier then follow with some cooked apple. Cover with another piece of pastry on top. (You might not need all the cream patissier, I used 2/3 only)
9. Egg wash the top and use a sharp knife to draw some pattern on it if you like. (I didn't draw it nicely so you couldn't get what I actually draw.)
10. Bake in a 180'C preheat oven for 90 minutes or 2 hours. (place a piece of aluminium foil on top if you find it is burning too much on top after some times of baking, it is better to bake at the lower part of the oven)
11. Let it completely cool down before cutting it into slices. It's best to serve the day after.