Back in 1976, Alavese pastry chef Luis López de Sosoaga took inspiration from the dish crema catalana and came up with goxua.
This is the deliciously perfect dessert that Vitoria Gasteiz now claims as its own. It is a mix of whipped cream, soft sponge, pastry cream and a caramel top. The name could not be more fitting. In Basque, goxua simply means sweet.
Names matter, of course. Some dishes struggle because their names sound odd outside their hometown. Goxua is lucky. Its name suits it, and it has had almost fifty years of happy eaters to prove it. The dish is usually served in small clay dishes or in clear glasses so you can see every bit of it. The caramelised sugar on top adds the finishing touch.
Luis López de Sosoaga, from the fourth generation of the Sosoaga family sweets business founded in 1868, has always been open about his influences. His love for crema catalana began while training in Barcelona. Another spark came from a homemade soufflé he tried in Araia, in the Asparrena area of Álava. Put these together and the idea for goxua was born.
It takes a little time to make, but then good things often do.
If you fancy giving it a go at home, here is a simplified version of the recipe.
Goxua Ingredients
For the Genoise sponge
- 3 eggs
- 75 g sugar
- 75 g wheat flour
- 10 g melted butter
- 2.5 g vanilla extract
For the pastry cream
- 370 ml milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 30 g cornflour
- 50 g white sugar
- 5 g vanilla extract
- 1 cinnamon stick
For the whipped cream
- 200 g double cream
- 20 g icing sugar
For assembling
- 50 ml rum
- 20 g sugar (for caramelising)
How to make goxua
Start with the sponge. Whisk the eggs and sugar until they are pale and fluffy. Gently fold in the sifted flour and the vanilla. Pour the mix into a buttered and floured tin. Bake at 180ºC for about 40 minutes. Let it cool, then cut out small rounds that fit your serving glasses.
Next, make the pastry cream. Mix egg yolks with sugar, add a little of the cold milk and the cornflour. Heat the rest of the milk with vanilla and cinnamon. When it starts to bubble, turn the heat down and whisk in the yolk mix. Keep whisking until it thickens. Let it cool, cover the surface with cling film and chill it.
Whip the double cream with icing sugar until it forms soft peaks. Chill that too.
To assemble, whisk the chilled pastry cream to loosen it. Brush the sponge pieces with rum. Place one at the bottom of your glass. Add a layer of whipped cream. Add another sponge layer and top it with pastry cream. Cover and chill for half an hour.
Just before serving, sprinkle sugar on top and caramelise it with a blowtorch until it turns golden.
