If it is cold the mixing process will require more work and the dough is called pâte sablée (it is crumblier).

But the principle of this cake is having a soft shortbread-type dough 3 to 6 mm thick filled with an almond pastry cream, also called frangipane, and with a shiny egg-coating.

[citation needed] The dough is rolled out like a double crust pie and filled with jam or pastry cream.

Later editions were flavoured with rum, brought back to France by Basques from the West Indies.

[1] There is a museum dedicated to the cake, Le musée du Gâteau Basque, in Sare, Labourd.