CookEat Recipe
Neapolitan Custard Layer Cake
Thin sponge layers filled with vanilla custard, coated in white lemon-sugar glaze containing almond slivers and crowned with upright almond halves.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 410 g caster sugar: 120 g for the sponge, 60 g for the custard and 230 g for the glaze; 140 g plain flour: 120 g for the sponge, 15 g for the custard and 5 g for the tin; 100 g blanched sweet almonds; 4 whole eggs for the sponge; 2 egg yolks for the custard; 300 ml milk; 15 g butter: 10 g for the custard and 5 g for the tin; 5 g icing sugar for the tin; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; 100 ml water for the glaze, plus a little if needed to loosen it; Juice of ¼ lemon.
Step 2
Dry the almonds at 120°C for about 10 minutes without browning, then cool. Choose roughly one third of the largest almonds and separate each lengthwise into its two natural halves; reserve these for the top. Cut the other two thirds into fine slivers for the glaze. None of the almonds goes into the sponge batter.
Step 3
Grease a smooth round metal tin about 16 cm across and 10 cm deep with 5 g butter and dust with the 5 g tin flour mixed with the icing sugar. Heat the oven to 170°C. Whisk the four whole eggs and 120 g caster sugar in a heatproof stainless-steel bowl over warm water for about 15–20 minutes, until very pale and thick enough to leave a ribbon. Keep only gently lukewarm, lifting off the water as needed; do not let the egg set.
Step 4
Remove from the water and fold in the 120 g sponge flour gently. Pour immediately into the tin and bake for about 30–40 minutes until risen and set, with a clean skewer. Leave for 10–15 minutes before turning out, then cool completely, about 1½ hours. The small deep tin is intended to give a tall cake, roughly 6–8 cm, suitable for thin horizontal layers.
Step 5
For the custard, melt the remaining 10 g butter in a saucepan, stir in the 15 g custard flour and cook gently for about one minute without browning. Take off the heat and let become lukewarm. Whisk in the two yolks, milk and 60 g caster sugar gradually, then return to moderate heat and stir until it boils and thickens. Continue for one minute, ensuring at least 74°C, then stir in the vanilla.
Step 6
Cut the cold sponge horizontally into layers about 1 cm thick with a serrated knife. Spread the hot custard on the upper face of each layer except the last and restack in the original order. Leave the final outer surface bare for glazing. Set the cake in a shallow container and refrigerate promptly, within two hours of making the custard, until cold.
Step 7
For the glaze, dissolve the 230 g caster sugar in the 100 ml water in a small saucepan over low heat. Boil without stirring until a sugar thermometer reads 114°C. Take off the heat and let cool to warm, roughly 50–60°C. Use the thermometer rather than testing hot syrup between your fingers.
Step 8
Add the lemon juice and work vigorously with a wooden spoon until the syrup turns opaque white and thick. If it becomes too stiff to spread, loosen with a teaspoon of warm water at a time. Mix in the fine almond slivers and promptly spread the white almond glaze over the cold cake, covering the top and sides.
Step 9
Insert the reserved almond halves upright in the top. Let the coating set in the refrigerator for about 30–60 minutes, then serve in slices. Keep at 4°C or colder and use within 2–3 days. The glaze temperature and tin size are practical working guides; do not delay refrigeration while working on the decoration.
Step 10
For the fruit-preserve version, omit all custard ingredients: the two extra yolks, 300 ml milk, 60 g custard sugar, 15 g custard flour, 10 g custard butter and vanilla. Spread about 250–300 g smooth apricot preserve thinly between the same cold sponge layers. Keep the sponge ingredients, pan coating, white glaze and almond decoration unchanged, and store the assembled cake refrigerated.
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