A traditional speciality of the region, the Basque cake is an unmissable pastry whose reputation has spread far beyond the borders of its territory. Composed of a shortbread dough filled with cream or fruit jam, this gourmet and convivial cake should delight your taste buds.
In 1832, a pastry shop opened its doors in Cambo, a town in the Basque country which, from that time on, welcomed many tourists who came to enjoy the benefits of its thermal waters.
It is from its owner, the young Marianne Hirogoyen, that we get the recipe for the delicious Basque cake. Holding herself her mother's recipe, she leaves every Thursday by stagecoach to sell some at the market in Bayonne. Particularly appreciated, this succulent sweet dish is beginning to be known throughout the region as "gâteau de Cambo". »
The recipe is kept secret until the death of Marianne's two granddaughters, Elisabeth and Anne Dibar, who pass it on to the new pastry chef in Cambo in extremis in order to keep the family tradition alive.
Today, an association is working to promote this delight Basque with the aim of enhancing the original recipe and developing the activity and reputation of the craftsmen who have made it their main product. Every year, a "Basque cake festival" is even held in Cambo: the perfect opportunity to taste delicious examples of Basque cake and to celebrate as the inhabitants of this region rich in gourmet desserts and traditions, know how to do so well.
This bakery is known to be unrelenting! Its success lies in the good preparation of its shortbread dough which is made of flour, butter, sugar, eggs and rum. The delicacy of this speciality then comes from what it contains. Depending on taste, it can be a rum custard, black cherry jam or for the most classic, red fruit jams..
Crunchy and soft at the same time, the Basque cake accompanies all the regional festivals. It is impossible to visit a Basque village without tasting its version of the cake...
If you are particularly interested in it, you can visit an unusual museum dedicated to it: the Basque Cake Museum, in Sare. A whole range of furniture and kitchen utensils are on display and reveal to the public the secrets of making this emblematic dish.
The Basque Cake Museum
Berengère for Comme des Français
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Let's stay in the gourmet theme with other famous regional products :
- In Brittany
- In the Great East
- In the North
