Basque cake

Étapes de la recette

1. 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.