Goxua, the basque dessert in a glass

   

Goxua is a typical dessert from the Basque Country that can be made with elements that we can make at home or buy ready-made, saving a lot of time. If you are looking for a colorful but easy-to-make dessert for this Christmas, goxua is what you are looking for. In fact, although available all year round, it is traditionaly served at Christmas.

It was created in Vitoria city although it is consumed throughout the Basque Country. There are infinite versions, from "solid" goxua (cakes) to the kind of pudding at hand.

To explain it quickly, it is made up of a first layer (the one at the bottom of the glass) of whipped cream. Next a thin layer of sponge cake soaked in liquor, then another of pastry cream that is covered in sugar and burned as if it were crème brûlée. In short: in parts, you can buy everything already made. Even the whipped cream. 

INGREDIENTS (4 people) :

• 1 thin sponge cake base (you buy it)
• Whipping cream (500 ml) at 35-38% fat (you buy it, but you whip it yourself, the pressure one doesn't work!)*
• Pastry cream (bought ready-made, available in convenient tetra-bricks)
• sweet wine
• granulated sugar (or caramel)
• Cinnamon powder

* It can also be purchased whipped cream in almost any supermarket.

We need a glass (in fact 4 glasses, one for each diner) with straight and wide walls, preferably transparent so that the layers can be seen. Using said glass as a mold, we press on the cake to get circles of the same size. We reserve.

We whip the cream until it is thick with the help of the whisk. Pressure cream cannot be used since it does not have enough strength to support the weight of the layers. We deposit a first layer on the bottom 1 or 2 fingers thick. On this layer we place the cake discs previously cut and wet (not soaked) with sweet wine or if you want some other type of liquor (unless this is a dessets children will eat, in that case skip this process). We press lightly so that there are no spaces between the cream and the cake.

Next, on top of the cake, we add pastry cream also 1 or 2 fingers thick. We flatten. Pour granulated sugar on top and burn so that a hard crust remains. If you can't burn because you don't have a blowtorch, torch, flamethrower or whatever similar, buy liquid candy. Sprinkle a little ground cinnamon and put it straight in the refrigerator.

After half an hour it will be ready to be enjoyed. By the way, for the curious: goxua means "sweet" in basque.