Basque Cake Recipe

Prepare oven and pan

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan or cake pan with butter and line with parchment paper so paper extends at least 5 cm above rim to allow the cake to rise and char.

Make batter

In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese with granulated sugar until very smooth and no lumps remain (2–3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined after each addition. Stir in flour, vanilla, and salt. Gradually mix in heavy cream and sour cream until the batter is silky and homogenous. Do not overbeat; scrape down sides as needed.

Bake

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 20–25 minutes, then reduce temperature to 200°C (390°F) and bake additional 10–15 minutes until top is deeply golden to nearly black in spots and the center still has a gentle wobble. Total baking ~35–40 minutes depending on oven. The high heat creates the signature burnt top and creamy interior.

Cool

Remove cake from oven and cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. The cake will deflate slightly and set. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours if serving cold or bring to room temperature if serving warm.

Combine cranberries, sugar, water, orange zest, orange juice, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook 8–12 minutes until cranberries have burst and mixture thickens to a jammy consistency. Stir in lemon juice at the end to brighten flavor. Cool to room temperature; refrigerate until needed. Yield: slightly chunky compote appropriate for spooning on cake.

Make custard base

In a saucepan, warm milk and heavy cream with the vanilla until just below simmering (do not boil). Whisk sugar into egg yolks until pale. Temper the yolks by slowly adding about one-third of the hot milk mixture while whisking constantly, then pour yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until custard thickens and coats the back of the spatula (82–84°C / 180–185°F). Do not let it boil.

Finish base

Remove custard from heat and strain into a bowl. Whisk in sour cream and a pinch of salt until smooth. Chill the mixture thoroughly (preferably overnight) in the fridge to at least 4°C. Once cold, churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until soft-set. Transfer to a container and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Brûlée topping

When ready to serve, scoop portions of sour cream ice cream and sprinkle about 1 tsp (per scoop) of the reserved 60 g granulated sugar evenly across the top. Use a small kitchen blowtorch to caramelize the sugar until a thin crisp caramel forms. Alternatively, place under a very hot broiler briefly (watch closely) to brûlée. Return briefly to freezer until serving if needed.

Prepare sugar syrup

In a small saucepan, combine 200 g sugar and 60 ml water. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Attach a candy thermometer and bring syrup to 115°C (239°F) for a stable meringue suitable for piping. If you prefer a stiffer glossy meringue, heat to 121°C (250°F).

Whip whites

While the syrup heats, whisk egg whites to soft peaks in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Once syrup reaches the target temperature, with mixer running on medium-high, slowly pour the hot syrup down the side of the bowl into the whites in a thin steady stream. Continue whipping until the bowl is cool to the touch and the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks (6–8 minutes). If using gelatin, bloom 1 tsp gelatin in 10 ml cold water and warm briefly to liquefy, then drizzle into meringue while whipping for extra stability.

Shape and brûlée

Pipe or spoon meringue onto a sheet tray or directly onto chilled slices of Basque cake as desired. Using a small kitchen torch, carefully brûlée the meringue surface to create a toasted marshmallow exterior. The meringue should be toasted golden brown with a few darker spots.

Cook raspberries

Place raspberries and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until berries break down and sugar dissolves, about 6–8 minutes. Press mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove seeds, pressing to extract as much puree as possible. Discard seeds.

Make curd

Return raspberry puree to a clean saucepan. Whisk together eggs and egg yolks in a bowl and temper them by slowly whisking in about one-third of the hot puree. Pour tempered eggs back into the saucepan with the puree and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the curd thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 75–80°C). Do not boil or scramble the eggs.

Finish

Remove from heat and whisk in butter, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt until smooth and glossy. Strain curd through a fine sieve for extra smoothness. Cool to room temperature, then chill. Curd will thicken further when chilled.

Slice the Basque cake into 8 equal slices. Spoon a generous tablespoon of Wetherby cranberry compote on each plate beside or atop each slice. Place a quenelle or scoop of sour cream ice cream beside the cake slice; brûlée the ice cream topping sugar immediately before serving so the contrast of warm caramel and cold ice cream is preserved.

Pipe or spoon a small dollop (about 1–2 tbsp) of raspberry curd on each plate and smear slightly with the back of a spoon for presentation. Top each cake slice with a toasted marshmallow meringue cap or place a piped swirl of brûléed meringue next to the ice cream. Garnish with 1–2 fresh raspberries and a light dusting of icing sugar if desired.

Serve immediately so brûléed elements remain crisp and the ice cream is cold. Leftover components: store compote and curd refrigerated (up to 5 days), ice cream frozen, meringue best fresh but can be kept in an airtight container for 1 day.