Basque Cake Food

BASQUE CAKE

Steps:

• To Make the pastry cream Filling: In a sauce pan, combine the milk and 1/3 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons flour. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
• Mix 1/2 cup of hot milk into egg mixture, then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the hot milk. Return to heat and bring to a boil. Continue cooking over medium heat until mixture thickens and becomes smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan. Combine and sift the flour and baking powder. Set aside
• Cream 1 1/8 cup sugar and 3 eggs until light and fluffy. Fold in the sifted flour mixture in three increments, being careful not to overmix.
• Put half of the dough into the greased pan. Spread the dough so that it covers the bottom of the pan. Place pastry cream to within 3/4 inch of the edge. Add the second half of the cake dough, making sure to enclose all of the filling.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.

BASQUE CAKE

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy.
• Gradually beat in the sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Sift the cake flour, salt, and baking powder together and use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into this butter mixture until a soft dough form and no white streaks of flour remain.
• Spread half the batter evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Stir the.
• almond extract, if using, into the cherry preserves.
• Spoon the cherry preserves over the batter, spreading it within 2 inches of the border.
• Drop the remaining batter by large spoonfuls over the preserves.
• Spread the batter carefully over the jam to the edge of the pan.
• Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if using.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
• Let cool in the pan on a wire rack.
• Unmold the cake and dust with confectioners sugar.

BASQUE-STYLE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Lay one 16-inch piece of parchment across the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and lay another 16-inch piece on top crosswise. Press the parchment into the bottom of the pan and crease along the sides, making it as flush as possible to the sides of the pan and allowing the parchment to come at least 2 inches above the sides. Put the pan on a baking sheet.
• Combine the cream cheese, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed, scraping down the bowl once halfway through to ensure there are no lumps of cream cheese, until the mixture is very smooth and light, a full 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time with the mixer running, beating 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the bowl, turn the mixer to low and add the cream and vanilla; raise the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Remove the mixer bowl. Sift the flour over the batter and fold the flour into the batter with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake until the cheesecake is deep golden brown on top but the center is still quite jiggly, about 2 hours. Let cool completely (the cake will fall dramatically as it cools).
• Release the pan to remove the cake and gently pull the parchment from the sides. Transfer the cake to a serving platter using an offset spatula.

BASQUE CAKE WITH CHERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch cake pan or spring-form pan. In a mixer with a whip attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually beat in the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Sift the cake flour, salt, and baking powder together and use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into this butter mixture until a soft dough forms and no white streaks of flour remain. Spread half the batter evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Stir the almond extract into the cherry preserves. Spoon the cherry preserves over the batter, spreading it within 2 inches of the border.
• Drop the remaining batter by large spoonfuls or pipe it with a plain tip over the preserves. Spread the batter carefully over the jam to the edge of the pan. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if using.
• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Unmold the cake and dust with confectioners' sugar.

BASQUE CAKE

Steps:

• Pastry: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Sift together flours and baking powder.
• Stir in ground almonds.
• In a food processor combine flour mixture with cold butter.
• Pulse several times until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• In a small bowl whisk together whole egg, egg yolks and sugar until smooth.
• Add to flour mixture and pulse again until mixture comes together.
• Turn onto a lightly floured surface.
• Divide dough in half.
• Roll out each half into quarter inch thick 10-inch circles.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Pastry Cream: In a medium bowl whisk together first amount of milk, egg yolks and cornstarch until smooth.
• Heat second amount of milk, sugar and vanilla in a heavy bottomed pot.
• When this mixture comes to a boil, slowly pour half of it over the egg yolk mixture while whisking briskly.
• Return mixture back to pot.
• Continue whisking 4 to 5 minutes until smooth and boiling.
• Remove from heat.
• Add ground almonds.
• Cover surface with plastic wrap.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Assembly.
• Line a flan ring with one layer of the rolled pastry.
• Pour in pastry cream and then top with second layer of pastry.
• Place flan ring on baking sheet.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden and set.
• Sour Cherry Sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Reduce to simmer and reduce by half.
• Strain and serve warm over cake.

"BURNT" BASQUE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Butter a 9-inch cake pan. Cut a sheet of parchment paper large enough to line the inside of the pan by a few extra inches. Butter the paper and press it into the pan, flattening any major creases. Trim away any excess paper from the sides until you have an inch or two of overhang.
• Combine cream cheese, sugar, salt, and flour in a bowl. Stir and smear together with a spatula until very smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract and 1 egg; whisk to combine. Whisk in remaining eggs, one at a time. Pour in heavy cream and mix until smooth.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan against the counter to burst any excess air bubbles.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed, very well browned, and nearly burned on the edges, 50 to 55 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) in the last 10 minutes.
• Let cheesecake cool to room temperature, at least 25 minutes. Lift out onto a plate and peel back parchment paper, using a knife or spatula if needed. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 4 hours to overnight.

BURNT BASQUE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/ gas 9 ensuring plenty of space above the middle shelf. Butter a deep 20cm, loose-bottom or springform cake tin. Lay two large sheets of baking parchment, one on top of the other, one sheet turned 45 degrees, so the corners point in different directions. Push the parchment into the tin, pressing into the corners and making sure plenty of paper is sticking out above the rim. Press the creases up the sides, but don't worry about lining the tin too neatly - the grooves in the parchment give this cheesecake its characteristic look.
• Tip the soft cheese and sugar into a large bowl or a stand mixer. Beat together using an electric whisk (or stand mixer) for a minute or 2, until the grains of sugar have dissolved - check this by rubbing a little of the mixture between your fingertips. If it feels grainy, keep mixing for another minute or so.
• Tip in the flour, soured cream, eggs, vanilla and ¼ tsp salt to the bowl and mix again until you have a smooth consistency. Pour into your lined cake tin, scraping out every last bit of cheesecake mixture. Give the tin a sharp bang on the worktop to remove any air bubbles, then bake for 30 mins.
• Once cooked, the cheesecake should be deeply caramelised on the outside and puffed up like a soufflé. It will still have a wobble when you shake the tin. Leave it to cool completely in the tin - it will sink as it cools. Chill for at least 1 hr before serving. Will keep in the fridge for up to two days.