Goxua from Vitoria, a Basque dessert for those who have a sweet tooth

Goxua is a very traditional dessert in Basque cuisine, more specifically in the province of Álava. It is in its capital, Vitoria-Gasteiz, where this dessert continues to be an indisputable reference point of its cuisine. A delicious mixture of pastry cream, sponge cake and cream that can not disappoint in any case. In fact, goxua means sweet or delicious in Basque, a summary of what this simple dessert represents.

Ingredients for the Goxua (4 people):

First layer of whipped cream:

• 500 g whipping cream (minimum 35% fat)
• 80 g of icing sugar

Second layer of sponge cake:

• 12 soletilla sponge fingers (ladyfingers)
• 100 g water
• 100 g of sugar
• The juice of 1/2 lemon

Third layer of pastry cream:

• 100 g of sugar
• 500 g of milk
• 50 g cornstarch
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
• The peel of 1 lemon
• 1 cinnamon stick

For decoration:

• White sugar for the caramelized side
• Brown sugar for caramelization
• Honey or cinnamon powder (if no burner is available)

How to Make the Goxua:

1. First of all, whip the cream very cold with the sugar and keep it in the fridge until you need it.
2. To prepare the syrup that we will use to wet the cake, heat the sugar with the water and the lemon juice and let it thicken at medium heat for at least 5 minutes.
3. Finally, leave the pastry cream ready before assembling the goxua. To do this, boil the milk with the lemon peel and the cinnamon stick. Leave to cook for 10 minutes so that the milk can be infused. Once the time has passed, strain and return the milk to the same pan.
4. In a separate bowl, add the yolks, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. Beat well with a few sticks until everything is well integrated. Then, add some milk to the yolks to raise the temperature and prevent them from curdling.
5. Finally, add the egg mixture to the milk and beat continuously. Cook for 15 minutes over a medium heat or until it thickens. Transfer to another bowl and leave to cool with a clingfilm covering the mixture.
6. It is time to assemble the goxua. To do this, add the sponge fingers to the base and wet them well with the syrup. Then add the cream and finally the pastry cream. The final result can be sprinkled on top with sugar and then burned. If you don’t have a burner, you can simply decorate it with a little cinnamon and icing sugar before serving or even with honey, to give it that toasted colour and unique taste.