SPONGE CAKE
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
Pinch of salt
4 tbs melted butter
CUSTARD CREAM
2 cups whole milk
½ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
2 eggs
3 Tbs butter
½ tsp vanilla
1 cup fresh whipping cream
FRESH WHIPPED CREAM
2 cups fresh whipping cream
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup slivered and toasted almonds
In a mixer whisk on the highest speed four eggs with one cup of sugar until frothy and pale in color. Remove from mixer and fold in the flour with a shifter. Take turns in mixing melted butter and sifts of flour so that you uniformly combine the ingredients. Do not over mix. You need all the air and bubbles.
Put in a rectangular cookie sheet on top greased baking paper. Bake in a 350 preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. When cooled down, wet with a light simple syrup.
To make the syrup put in a sauce pan 1 cup of sugar with ½ cup water. Allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Now proceed with making the pastry cream.
In a large mixing bowl we whisk the eggs with sugar and flour. In a sauce pan we heat the milk slightly and pour the above paste (eggs, sugar, flour) into the sauce pan with the milk. We return the cream to the heat and whisking constantly on medium heat the cream will thicken. Then we add the butter and vanilla. We mix to incorporate and remove from the heat. Set aside and allow to cool down.
In the mean time whip all three cups of the cream with 1 TBS sugar and vanilla until stiff. Take one cup of the cream and slowly with careful motions incorporate into the pastry cream. Cover and put in the fridge for ½ hour.
Now you are ready to assemble the dessert. It sounds like a lot of work but after you make it once and you know the steps it is really easy.
Choose a nice large platter with agreeable shape of your sponge cake. Place the sponge cake in the dish. Spread the cooled-down pastry cream. Finish with the whipped cream on top and toasted almonds. Place the dessert in the fridge and allow to cool down for a couple of hours before serving.
By Eleni Melirrytou