Gâteau Basque

Serves 6 Desserts and puddings

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Method

To make the crème pâtissière, bring the milk to a simmer in a pan over a medium heat. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining crème ingredients for 1-2 minutes until well combined. Pour the hot milk over the egg yolk mixture and whisk immediately to combine. Pour this custard back into the pan and continue to cook, whisking all the time, over a medium heat until you are left with a thick crème pâtissière – this will take around 4-5 minutes. When thick, transfer to a deep baking tray or shallow bowl and cover the surface with cling film to stop a skin forming. When cool, put in the fridge. Grease a 23cm loose-based tart tin with butter. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, whisking well after each addition. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt, then fold this into the butter mixture until combined but don’t overwork. Put a piece of baking paper on your worksurface and put two-thirds of the cake mixture on top. Cover with another piece and roll the mixture into a circle large enough to line the base and sides of the tin. Roll the remaining mixture between two sheets of baking paper into a 23cm circle. Put both sheets of rolled cake mixture, still between the sheets of baking paper, into the freezer for 30 minutes.

After this time, the dough should be almost frozen and the baking paper should peel off without leaving much dough behind. If not, return to the freezer for 15 minutes more. Line the base of the tart tin with the larger circle, pushing it well into the sides and corners of the tin, but don’t trim the sides. Spread the cherry jam over the bottom of the cake in an even layer. Remove the crème pâtissière from the fridge, transfer to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Dollop this over the jam and spread out in an even layer. Top with the remaining circle of dough, sealing well around the edges with a palette knife. With a small sharp knife, trim any excess pastry from the edge and put the tin in the fridge for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190C/ 170C F/Gas 5 and put a metal baking sheet in the centre of the oven to heat up. Remove the gâteau from the fridge and brush with the egg wash. Using the back of a fork, score a tartan-style pattern over the cake and transfer to the preheated baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour until golden brown, then remove and allow to cool before removing from the tin. Serve at room temperature.