Sare is home to the Rhune train, prehistoric caves and… the Musée du gâteau basque! If you want to learn how to bake the world’s best cake, look no further.
From museum to old-fashioned perfume, in praise of Basque cake
Take advantage of your stay at Camping Biper Gorri in Espelette to visit the Musée du gâteau basque in Sare, near Saint-Jean-de-Luz in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region. In this unique museum, housed in a former farmhouse, the Marichular family has assembled hundreds of old and sometimes unusual objects from the traditional Basque house. It’s an opportunity to delve into the history and daily life of Basques past and present, to discover the secrets of Basque cake-making, and to get your hands dirty!
It’s a short step from theory to practice. After discovering the small museum, visitors are invited to don their aprons for a pastry-making workshop, at the end of which everyone leaves with their own Basque cake! And the icing on the cake is that the visit is led by a pastry chef in an infectiously good mood, full of humor and love for his country. You’ll laugh a lot, learn a lot, and never leave hungry!
At the end of the visit, “pastry apprentices” can enjoy lunch in the park (local dishes: Bayonne ham, homemade piperade, ewe’s milk cheese, home-made pastries…) or a drink at the Bodega “Tinka”. The museum store also sells all kinds of delicacies: “Euskal Brownie”, Basque-style macaroons, cherry jams and, of course, Basque cakes.
Le Musée du Gâteau basque : dép.406 – Maison Haranea, Quartier Lehenbiscay, 64310 Sare (20 minutes from the campsite), Adults: 9€, children: 7€ (4 to -14 years), information and Bookings: 06 71 58 06 69, www.legateaubasque.com
What to see and do in Sare in the Basque Country? The little Rhune train, the Ortillopitz house-museum (restored to its 17th-century state), the Sare caves, Saint-Martin church.
Recipe for Basque cake (serves 8)
Dough:
- 350 g flour
- 3 whole eggs
- 200 g softened butter
- 180 g caster sugar
- 2 tablespoons rum or vanilla liquid
- yeast (optional)
- cream, prune marmalade or cherry jam (to taste)
Pour the flour into a bowl, make a well and stir in the beaten eggs, softened butter, baking powder and sugar.
Mix the dough. It should be firm and not sticky. If the dough is too soft or sticky, add more flour.
Leave to rest for an hour at room temperature, then divide into two dough pieces. Using a rolling pin, make two identical rolls (4 to 5 mm thick).
Butter and flour a 22 cm-diameter springform pan and place the first layer of pastry on top. Top with cream* (cherry jam or prune marmalade are also very good), then cover with the remaining pastry to act as a “lid”. Weld the edges together, pressing firmly with your fingers.
Using a fork, make fine grooves on the top, then brush with egg yolk. Place the cake in an oven heated to 210°C and bake for around 30 minutes.
Leave to cool before serving. Basque cake tastes even better the next day!
*Cream :
- 200 g sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ liter of milk
- 2 tablespoons rum or vanilla liquid
Using a wooden spatula, combine the sugar, beaten egg and flour. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Cook over a low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring well. The cream should thicken. Add the rum at the end of cooking and leave to cool before rolling out the first layer.
