Custard Layer Cakes

Makes: 1 Cake

Cooking time: 1 hour 30 Minutes

Hint: The cake should be kept in the fridge if not eaten on the day that it was baked.

Ingredients:

Classic Sponge Cake:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 300 ml (250 g) castor sugar
  • 500 ml (2 cups) flour
  • 15 ml (3 T) baking powder
  • 250 ml (1 cup) full cream milk
  • 100 g butter
  • 5 ml (1 t) vanilla essence

Custard Filling:

  • 6 egg yolks
  • 180 g (¾ cup) castor sugar
  • 70 ml corn flour
  • 500 ml (2 cups) milk
  • 5 ml vanilla essence

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 180ºC.
  • Beat eggs and castor sugar together until thick and creamy. Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold into egg and sugar mixture.
  • Heat milk and butter, but do not boil. Add vanilla essence and stir into batter.
  • Spoon into 2 x 20 cm greased cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes and remove from oven.
  • Whilst the cake layers are still hot, use a cotton thread and “cut” horizontally in halve. Place on a wire rack to cool.
  • In the meantime, make the custard filling: Beat the egg yolks and castor sugar together until light and foamy. Sift the corn flour and fold into the egg mixture.
  • Heat the milk until just below boiling and add, in a thin stream, to the egg mixture whilst beating constantly.
  • Heat over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Stir constantly.
  • Remove from heat and beat in the vanilla essence. Leave to cool.
  • To assemble the cake: Divide custard into 4 portions and use as filling and topping for each cake layer.
  • Sprinkle with ground caramel, if desired.