Ingredients
Pastry Cream
480 ml (2 cups) milk
110 grams(1/2 cup) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
37 grams (1/3 cup) cornstarch
3 egg yolks, large
1 egg, large
2 teaspoons vanilla
120 ml (1/2 cup) milk
Cake
113 grams (1/2 cup) butter, unsalted
110 grams(1/2 cup) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks, large
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
120 grams (1 cup) flour
Meringue
4 egg whites, large
165 grams (3/4 cup) sugar
Toppings
50 grams almonds, sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
250 grams berries (ex. strawberries, blue berries)
Instructions
For the Pastry Cream
- In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the 2 cups of milk, sugar, and salt until sugar has dissolved.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together cornstarch, egg yolks, egg, and 1 cup milk. Add a few tablespoons of the hot milk mixture and whisk vigorously.
- Combine the egg yolk mixture and the milk mixture. Cook over medium heat while stirring constantly. Remove from heat once the mixture has thickened. Add in the vanilla.
- Transfer to a bowl and cover with a buttered plastic wrap, pressing it closely over the top of the filling to avoid a skin being formed.
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Lightly grease 2 8-inch pans.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, salt, and egg yolks until well combined. Beat in the vanilla, milk, baking powder, and flour. The batter will be stiff.
- Divide the batter into 2 and spread over the prepared pans. Set aside.
For the Meringue
- Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until smooth and glossy, but not too stiff.
- Spread the meringue over the cake batter.
- Mix cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle the meringue with almond slices and dust with cinnamon and sugar.
Baking and assembling the cake
- Bake the cakes for 30 minutes. The meringue will puff up in the oven but will settle down once the cakes are removed from the oven.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes.
- Loosen the edges of the cake. Place a plate or a large spatula over the top of the cake and carefully invert the cake pan. Flip it again and transfer onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.
- Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and lightly stir. Prepare the berries to be used.
- Transfer one of the cakes to a large plate, meringue side up. Spread the pastry cream filling and top it with the berries. Top it with the second cake layer, meringue side up.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time.