Goxua: Easy Basque Cream

By
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa and Tony Sierra are freelance writers and Spanish food experts who lead culinary tours of the country.
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Updated on 10/31/22
Goxua
Flickr CC 2.0 
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Chill: 30 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 2 servings

Goxua in Basque, (pronounced go-shoo-ah), means sweet, and it is a sweet and creamy dessert from the Basque Country of northern Spain. It was invented in Vitoria by pastry chef Luis López de Sosoaga in the 1970s and is now a popular dessert in and out of the Basque Country.

A cold, layered dessert, said to be inspired by crema catalana, but goxua is also similar to the creamy Italian dessert. First, a layer of sweet whipped cream is laid down as a base in the bottom of a dish. Liquor-soaked ladyfingers are the next layer, on top of which goes creamy custard. A burnt-sugar crust coats the top, however, many cooks prefer to use caramel sauce instead. Goxua can be made in a large dish and cut into individual servings or assembled and served in individual clay dishes or bowls.

Ingredients

For the Custard Layer:

  • 8 ounces milk

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • 1 tablespoon lemon peel, from 1/2 lemon

  • 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1 large egg

For the Whipped Cream Layer:

  • 3 1/2 ounces whipping cream

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the Cake Layer:

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • 2 tablespoons rum

  • 4 ladyfingers (or 2 sobaos or magdalenas)

  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar, for crust

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. First, make the custard. Pour most of the milk into a medium saucepan, reserving a small amount. Add lemon peel and cinnamon stick to the pan. Place the milk on the stove over high heat.

  3. While milk is heating, place cornstarch and sugar into a medium mixing bowl and whisk in the reserved milk, making sure that the cornstarch does not form lumps. Blend well. Add the egg and beat all ingredients together.

  4. Once the milk boils, remove from heat and allow to sit for 3 to 4 minutes. Discard the lemon peel and cinnamon.

  5. Pour the hot milk into the cornstarch mixture while whisking constantly. Then, pour milk mixture back into the same saucepan, and return it to the stove on low heat.

  6. Using a wooden spoon or whisk, stir constantly until mixture thickens a bit, then raise heat to medium-high. Continue to stir. Once it boils, it should have a thick custard consistency. Remove from heat and let sit for 3 minutes.

  7. Add the butter to the custard and stir until it melts. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to assemble the goxua.

  8. While custard is cooling, use an electric mixer to whip the cream and sugar to stiff peaks in a medium bowl. Cover tightly and refrigerate.

  9. To assemble the goxua, first, prepare the liqueur to soak the ladyfingers. Pour sugar into a small saucepan or frying pan, and add 2 tablespoons water. Place on stove over low to medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once sugar is completely dissolved and water is hot, pour in rum and bring to a boil, then immediately remove from heat.

  10. Spoon chilled whipped cream into the bottom of individual bowls or dishes. Then, dip the lady fingers into the rum mixture, and turn over so that both sides are wet. Carefully remove the ladyfingers and place them on top of the whipped cream. (If using sobaos or magdalenas, slice in half before soaking.)

  11. Spoon the chilled custard over the ladyfingers and smooth out the top using the back of the spoon. Finally, sprinkle granulated sugar over the top. Use a culinary torch to burn the sugar and create a crust. If no torch is available, drizzle a few teaspoons of caramelized sugar over the top, and serve.

Recipe Variation

  • Instead of ladyfingers, use or 2 sobaos or magdalenas.
  • Caramel sauce is a good substitute for the caramelized sugar; no torch needed. Simply place the sugar in a small saucepan and add just enough water so the sugar resembles wet sand. Place the pan over medium heat. Stir the sugar constantly until it is dissolved, then stop stirring. Let the sugar darken to a deep caramel color. swirling the pan occasionally if some spots brown faster than others. Use the caramel immediately as it will harden quickly.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
700 Calories
31g Fat
91g Carbs
12g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 700
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 39%
Saturated Fat 18g 90%
Cholesterol 234mg 78%
Sodium 146mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 91g 33%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 72g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 4mg 21%
Calcium 227mg 17%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 309mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)