The Basque Cake Museum

Are you a foodie ? Do you like the best-known specialty of the Basque Country and which crosses borders?! My visit today is for you! Welcome to the Basque Cake Museum , located in Sare.

Several tour options are possible: the one-hour discovery tour consisting of demonstrations and tastings with a pastry chef-guide ( €8 per adult, €6 for children between 4 and 12 years old ), workshops in the classroom with the delivery of the cake(s) made ( one of 1h30 from eight years old for €16 and the other of 2h30 from 12 years old for €28 ), the Gourmand Pass including the visit discovery, the history of the origin of the Basque cake, the lunch package and the second workshop for €46 . Finally, you can also take a catering package , every lunchtime, between €20 and €40 depending on your desires!

The museum is open from April to November , hours vary according to the seasons (the month of October is reserved for groups and reservations ). Remember to book , especially in summer, or even September, places are precious! Discovery tours take place at 11:30 a.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

As I open the door of the museum, of this authentic house of these Basque artisans , I already smell the good smell of the cake which tickles my nostrils, as well as my taste buds! I then sit in the back room, it is a reconstructed original kitchen where a pastry chef awaits me.

In front of him, all the utensils necessary for making the dish in question, all amateur pastry chefs, the curious or the most greedy will recognize them!!

I feel like I'm going to enjoy it, in every sense of the word! The pastry chef makes us taste the raw dough, he explains to us how to make good shortcrust pastry, I can tell you that if you like “baking”, all these valuable tips are worth taking! I learned all the secrets of making Basque cake, from the products to its preservation.

This is followed by tasting the cooked dough, in the form of shortbread. Here, nothing is thrown away, the scraps of dough, used to make the base of the Basque cake, are used to make good little shortbread , ideal for gourmet breaks at 4 p.m. or for coffee and tea! On these two shortbreads, the pastry chef adds homemade cherry jam as well as cream! A delight !!

The pastry chef-guide is really very friendly and does not lack humor. He really knows how to pass on his know-how well, in a simple, playful and fun way! The atmosphere is really friendly, simple, and I waste no time chatting with my neighbors to get their impressions of what we are tasting. I can tell you that there isn't a single crumb left!

Once the dough is in place and the cake is garnished, it’s time to decorate . Two sausages of pasta made and here is the Basque cross, symbol of an ancestral and taste tradition! I also learned that baking also depends on the weather, which means you have to take everything into account when you make a cake, doing it with love is not enough ;)

Comes the moment we have all been waiting for, the tasting of this famous Basque cake. The order of tasting is specified: the cream one before the cherry one. It's a delight, you can really smell the cold and the cherry jam is really impeccable!

Once my belly is full, I now discover how the Basque cake was made in the last century . The pastry chef explains to me how the oven of the time works, basically the chimney, he shows me the dough and the daily life of these artisans. It’s a real eco-museum , proud of its traditions ! I now know how to make a Basque cake without having to go buy the necessary ingredients at the supermarket! I won't tell you any more, the answers are sometimes surprising!

Once the visit is over, I head towards the store . I can tell you that this hour makes me hungry and above all makes me want to leave with good edible memories. Basque cakes of different sizes, madeleines, shortbread, jams, souvenir boxes, macaroons … in short, paradise!

The Basque Cake Museum is a must-see in the region . This pastry is a sort of emblem of the Basque Country , at every table we ask to taste it! Here, I learned how to make a Basque cake, at least I was able to see the different steps , the secret of the recipe is well kept ;) I had an excellent time with the pastry chef, he answered our questions and gives us all the valuable advice necessary to successfully make this pastry. The children will be in heaven, as will the foodies! It’s a fun, educational and gourmet outing that the whole family will enjoy!

Good tasting !