Where can you find the best Basque cake?
The Basque cake, or “etxeko bixkotxa” in Basque, is characterized by its golden shortcrust pastry crust, which encloses a filling of cream or cherry jam. In addition to these traditional versions, pastry chefs have come up with alternatives that are as indulgent as they are ingenious.
The ultimate travel treat, the Basque cake is synonymous with sharing. Along with other specialties like Espelette pepper, Bayonne ham, and Ossau-Iraty cheese, it’s a must-have souvenir to bring back from a trip to the Basque Country. In Sare, there’s even a museum dedicated to it: from April through November, you can participate in workshops to learn the tips and tricks of this traditional recipe. From the Atlantic coast to Paris, via the Basque hinterland, discover our selection of the best Basque cakes in France—the perfect blend of crispy crust and melt-in-your-mouth filling.
The Most DIY-Friendly: Maison Pariès (multiple locations)
With a recipe passed down from generation to generation since 1938, Maison Pariès offers the Basque cake in several flavors: In addition to the traditional cream and cherry versions, there’s a citrus variety—slightly tangy with its orange and grapefruit cream—and a hazelnut version, which won the 2025 Prix Épicure d’Or. All share a golden, crispy crust that encases a moist center. To bring a taste of the Basque Country home, opt for the kit to make Basque cake at home—available in both gluten-free and non-gluten-free versions.
- Where? 7 Rue des Filles du Calvaire, 75003 Paris, and 9 Rue Saint-Placide, 75006 Paris
- Price: €22 for 6 slices
The Most Parisian: Boulangerie Léonie (Paris)
Across his various Parisian locations, Kamel Saci, originally from Gascony, wanted to take Léonie Bakery’s customers on a culinary world tour through his recipes. It’s also a tour of France, featuring a lovely plain Basque cake that can be ordered by the slice (or whole for those with a sweet tooth). In the display cases of its Parisian shops, this specialty—which is sometimes available in a chocolate version—has quickly become one of the brand’s must-try items, made with ingredients sourced from organic farming.
- Where? 96 Rue De Lévis, 75017 Paris
- Price: €4.50 per slice
The most generous: Maison Adam (multiple locations)
Recognizable by the Basque cross stamped on top, Maison Adam’s Basque cake comes in three versions: alongside the traditional recipes with pastry cream (lightly flavored with rum here) and black cherries, there’s a delicious variation filled with apricot compote and Périgord walnut pieces. No matter which flavor you choose, Maison Adam’s Basque cakes are generously filled.
- Where? Several locations in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Biarritz
- Price: 18.50 euros for a cake serving 4 to 6 people
The richest: Thierry Bamas (multiple locations)
With its almond-rich pastry cream, the filling in the Basque cake by Thierry Bamas, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France pastry chef, is almost reminiscent of frangipane. A traditional Basque cake through and through, as evidenced by the crisscross patterns etched into each slice with a three-tined fork—whether it’s the cream version or the cherry version, which is also generously filled with fruit.
- Where? Several locations in Biarritz, Bayonne, and Anglet
- Price: €21
The Most Authentic: Le Bellis (Gujan-Mestras and La-Teste-de-Buch)
When it comes to local specialties, Le Bellis excels with several recipes—Landes-style pastis, cannelés, and of course the Basque cake, available with cream or cherry jam, with a few seasonal variations (caramel, blueberry, or chocolate).
- Where? 11 Cours de la République, 33470 Gujan-Mestras, La Teste-de-Buch, 8 Rue François Legallais
- Price: €20 for a Basque cake serving 6 people
The most authentic: Boulangerie Darrigues (Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle)
When you walk through the door of this bakery in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, southeast of Saint-Jean-de-Luz—primarily for its breads (the bakery won first prize for the Best Baguette in the Basque Country in 2009) and the Saint-Pée brioche—the Basque cake is also worth the detour. It is made according to the specifications of the Eguzkia association, which has been in existence since 1994 and guarantees a traditional, artisanal, high-quality product free of preservatives, artificial colors, and artificial flavors.
- Where? Bourg, 64310 Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle
- Price: Basque cake for 6 people at 13.20 euros (cream version) and 13.80 euros (cherry jam version)
The XXL Option: Pâtisserie Pastel (Saint-Jean-de-Luz)
In addition to individual-sized cakes and the six-person cake, this Saint-Jean-de-Luz patisserie makes XXL Basque cakes upon request for special occasions. All recipes are made with high-quality ingredients—Charentes-Poitou A.O.P. butter, eggs and milk from the Basque Country, flour from the Southwest… The yuzu and mandarin variety, made with yuzu from Ayherre, is quickly becoming their signature Basque cake recipe. The cream is flavored with homemade citrus purée, and the whole cake is enhanced with a yuzu-mandarin confit. The classic cream-filled Basque cake and the chocolate-hazelnut Basque cake, with its brownie-like texture, are also well worth trying.
- Where? 9 Avenue Jauréguiberry, 64500 Saint-Jean-de-Luz
- Price: €2.10 for the individual cream version, €2.20 for the cherry version
The Coziest Spot: Miremont (Biarritz)
Founded in 1872, this Biarritz institution with its yellow and charcoal-gray facade is the perfect setting to enjoy a traditional Basque cake. The cream version is made with a cream featuring Andalusian almonds, organic eggs, and local butter, with a hint of dark rum from Martinique. Its cherry counterpart is filled with a lightly vanilla-scented, unsweetened compote of Itxassou cherries.
- Where? Place Georges Clemenceau, 64200 Biarritz
- Price: €18 for a cake serving 4, €24 for a cake serving 6
The most modern: Maison Pommiers (Anglet)
Preserving everything that makes a good Basque cake while changing its shape—that’s the successful challenge taken on by Frédéric Pommiers, who has been reimagining this local specialty since 2015. With its four rounded corners, this “Basque cake 2.0” with its lightly sweetened cream evokes the Basque cross. Recently, he created Basque cake bites, which have the same shape and are perfect for enjoying with a good cup of coffee. Special mention goes to the Basque cake ice cream, available on sunny days—it’s particularly decadent.
