Basque Cake with Cherry Preserves Recipe

This Basque Cake with Cherry Preserves Recipe is a buttery and tender recipe, which is made with cake flour and sour cherry preserves. It’s a classic, foolproof recipe, ready in about 2 hours.

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Basque Cake with Cherry Preserves Recipe Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1/3 cup sour cherry preserves
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, optional
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

How To Make Basque Cake with Cherry Preserves Recipe

1. Prep the Oven and Pan: Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch cake pan or spring-form pan.
2. Cream Butter, Sugar, and Eggs: In the bowl of a mixer with a whip attachment, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, beat in the vanilla extract.
3. Make the Cake Dough: Sift the cake flour, salt, and baking powder together. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until a soft, sticky dough forms and no white streaks of flour remain.
4. Assemble the Base Layer: Spread half of the batter evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan.
5. Add the Filling: In a small bowl, stir the almond extract into the sour cherry preserves. Spoon the preserves over the batter, spreading it evenly but leaving about a 2-inch border from the edge of the pan.
6. Add the Top Layer: Drop the remaining batter by large spoonfuls over the preserves. Carefully spread the batter to cover the jam and meet the edge of the pan. Sprinkle the top with sliced almonds, if using.
7. Bake and Cool: Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the cake part comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
8. Finish and Serve: Once cool, unmold the cake and dust the top generously with confectioners’ sugar before slicing and serving.

Recipe Tips

• How do I spread the soft dough? The dough is more like a very thick batter. Use a small offset spatula dipped in a little water to help spread both the bottom and top layers evenly without sticking. For the top layer, dropping small spoonfuls all over the jam first makes it easier to connect them without smearing the filling.
• How do I keep the preserves from leaking out? Leaving a 2-inch border of dough around the edge when you spread the cherry preserves is the most important step. This allows the top layer of dough to seal with the bottom layer during baking, encasing the filling.
• Can I use a different filling? Yes. A traditional Basque cake is often filled with a thick pastry cream. You can also use other thick fruit preserves, such as apricot or blackberry.
• What’s the best way to get the cake out of the pan? Using a spring-form pan makes removal very easy. If using a standard cake pan, buttering it well and even lining the bottom with a circle of parchment paper will help ensure it releases cleanly after cooling.

What To Serve With Basque Cake

This cake is rich and satisfying on its own, but pairs wonderfully with:

• A strong cup of black coffee or an espresso
• A small glass of dessert wine or sherry
• A dollop of unsweetened whipped cream or crème fraîche

How To Store Basque Cake

Room Temperature: Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The texture is best when not refrigerated. Refrigerate: You can refrigerate the cake to extend its life to about 5 days, but allow it to come to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture. Freeze: It is not recommended to freeze the finished cake, as the texture of the filling can become watery upon thawing.

Basque Cake with Cherry Preserves Nutrition Facts

• Serving: 1 slice (of 12)
• Calories: 410kcal
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 20g
• Carbohydrates: 53g
• Sugar: 30g
• Sodium: 130mg

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

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