The Catalan TableIngredients
Servings:
4
Ingredients
- Dough ingredients
- 240 gall-purpose flour
- 30 galmond flour
- 150 gsoft butter
- 100 gpowdered sugar
- 1 packet vanilla sugar or a few drops vanilla essence
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 gsalt
- Cherry paste
- 500 gcherries
- 50 gsugar
- 10 gCornstarch
- Pastry cream
- 500 mlwhole milk
- 4 Egg yolks
- 50 gsugar
- 20 gWeak flour
- 20 gCornstarch
- 1 white cinnamon (or vanilla)
- 1 lemon zest
Nutritional Information
Per Serving (Approx.)
Calories
1221 kcal
Protein
31 g
Fat
47 g
Carbohydrates
165 g
Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.
Step-by-step Guide
Preparation
- Rinse the cherries well under running water, dry them with a clean kitchen cloth, and remove the stems and pits using a cherry pitter.
- Place the cherries in a saucepan with the sugar and mix well. Let them macerate for a couple of hours to release their natural juice.
- Put the saucepan over medium heat and bring the cherries to a boil. When they start to boil, reduce the heat and cook them for 5 minutes.
- Once cooked, drain the cherries using a colander and collect the juice in a separate container. Set the cherries and the juice aside separately.
- Let the juice cool to room temperature and set aside 250 ml, which is the amount we will use.
- Take 4 tablespoons of the juice and mix them with the cornstarch until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. Set this mixture aside.
- Heat the rest of the juice over medium heat, and when it is hot, add the cornstarch mixture, stirring vigorously with a whisk. Keep on the heat for one or two minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Add the reserved cherries to the saucepan. Let them cook for one minute and then remove from the heat.
- Allow the mixture to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Once cool, cover the container and store it in the refrigerator to chill completely. Now it's time to prepare the pastry cream. It is advisable to make it the day before.
- In a cup, place a little cold milk, add the cornstarch and the previously sifted flour, and stir until there are no lumps. Set aside.
- Place the rest of the milk on the stove in a pot with the lemon peel and half a vanilla bean. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from the heat. Repeat this process two more times to infuse the milk.
- Carefully separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
- Beat the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl until you achieve a pale mixture.
- Incorporate the dissolved cornstarch into the egg yolk bowl and stir until fully integrated.
- Pour the hot milk over the egg yolks, adding it slowly while stirring continuously.
- Return the mixture to a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it thickens. Ensure it does NOT Come TO A Boil at any point.
- Once the cream has thickened to the desired consistency, remove it from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Transfer the cream to a clean bowl. If the cream has stuck to the bottom of the pot, do not scrape it to avoid a burnt bitter taste.
- Cover the cream with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming, and let it cool at room temperature.
- Once cooled, store the cream in the refrigerator until the next day for it to reach the optimal texture.
Prepare the Dough: The Day of Making the Cake
- In a bowl, place the softened but not melted butter, sugar, almond flour, and lemon zest. Mix everything with a spatula until the ingredients are well combined.
- Add one whole beaten egg, then incorporate the yolk. Mix with the spatula until the mixture is homogeneous and without lumps.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until a smooth and uniform dough is obtained.
- Form a ball with the dough and cut it into two parts: one portion of 2/3 of the dough, which will be the base, and a portion with the remaining 1/3, which will be the top.
- Allow the two portions of dough to rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours, so they cool and set before continuing with the preparation.
Assembling the Cake
- Line the base of the mold with parchment paper, grease it well with butter, and lightly dust it with flour. Place it in the refrigerator to cool and firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC with heat on both top and bottom.
- After the 2 hours of refrigeration, remove the 2/3 portion of dough from the refrigerator. Gently stretch it with your hands on a floured surface. Then, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until you obtain a sheet about 4-5 mm thick.
- Cut a circle of dough the size of the inner base of the mold, using the mold itself or a plate of the same diameter as a guide.
- Place the crust in the mold and prick it several times with a fork to prevent it from puffing up during baking.
- If the dough has warmed up and becomes difficult to handle, form it into a ball again, roll it out between two sheets of plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to cool properly.
- When the dough is cold, form a rectangular strip slightly narrower than the height of the mold and long enough to cover the entire circumference.
- Fit the rectangular strip around the sides of the mold. Gently press at the base to ensure adhesion without deforming it.
- Fill the pie with the prepared filling, but leave a one-centimeter margin at the top edge so you can seal the dough from the side with the top.
- Apply a first layer of cream, distributing it evenly and leveling it. Reserve a little for the final assembly.
- On top, add the cherry paste and spread it well over the entire surface of the cake.
- Level the cherry paste with a thin layer of cream to achieve a homogeneous surface.
- Remove the 1/3 ball of dough from the refrigerator. Stretch it slightly with your hands on a floured surface, then continue with a rolling pin to form a sheet about 4-5 mm thick.
- Cut a circle the size of the inside of the mold and carefully place it over the filling.
- Seal the pie by gently pressing to join the top with the side crust, ensuring it is well closed.
- Place the pie in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill the dough and ensure better consistency during baking.
- Make a small cut in the center of the pie lid to allow steam to escape during baking.
- Brush the lid with beaten egg yolk mixed with a little milk to achieve a golden, shiny color after baking.
- As a decoration, it is traditional to mark horizontal and transverse lines with the tines of a fork, creating a pattern on the surface.
- Lower the oven temperature to 180ºC with heat only on the bottom to ensure even baking of the base.
- Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until the crust is golden and thoroughly cooked.
- Allow the cake to cool in the mold until it reaches room temperature. Then, place it in the refrigerator and let it cool completely, as removing it from the mold before it is thoroughly cold can cause it to break easily. Note: if you want a more traditional Basque presentation, reserve a small ball made from leftover dough in the refrigerator. Once the cake is covered, roll the ball into a cord, divide it into two parts, twist them, and place the typical Basque cross "lau buru" in the center of the cake. If you choose the Basque cross, make a couple of additional cuts in the cover, one on each side of the cross, to prevent the cake from opening during baking.
Recommendations & Tricks
- Make sure the cherry paste is completely cold before adding it to the cake. For the best results, prepare it the day before and store it in the fridge for at least 8 hours. This ensures an optimal texture for the filling.
- When preparing the pastry cream, cook it over low heat while stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking and forming lumps. Let it cool completely before using.
- Use a removable mold or ring, about 18 cm in diameter and 7 cm in height, to make it easier to remove the cake. Apply butter or oil to the mold to prevent excessive sticking.
- When placing the dough in the mold, ensure that the edges are well covered and evenly distributed to prevent the edges from breaking when unmolding.
- For perfect dough, mix 240 grams of all-purpose flour with 30 grams of almond flour. Add 150 grams of softened butter and 100 grams of powdered sugar. Work the dough until you achieve a homogeneous and smooth texture.