Italian Puff Pastry Cake with Vanilla-Lemon Custard and Cream

What you need

• 400 g (14 oz) puff pastry, ready-rolled, chilled
• 500 ml (2 cups) whole milk
• 1 piece lemon peel, about 5 cm (2 in) long, no white pith
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 40 g (1/3 cup) cornstarch
• 250 ml (1 cup) heavy cream, cold
• 60 g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar, divided

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Line two baking trays with parchment.

2. 2

   Cut the puff pastry into 3 equal rectangles. Prick each all over with a fork.

3. 3

   Lay the rectangles on the trays, cover with parchment and set another tray or a wire rack on top to keep the pastry flat. Bake in batches for 15 min.

4. 4

   Remove the top tray and parchment. Bake 5-8 min more, until deep golden. Cool completely on a rack.

5. 5

   Trim the edges of the cooled sheets straight with a serrated knife. Crush the trimmings into coarse crumbs and set them aside.

6. 6

   Warm the milk with the lemon peel in a saucepan until steaming, 4-5 min. Take it off the heat.

7. 7

   In a bowl, whisk the yolks, granulated sugar and cornstarch until smooth and pale.

8. 8

   Pour the hot milk through a sieve onto the yolk mixture in a thin stream, whisking all the time. Pour it back into the saucepan.

9. 9

   Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and bubbles slowly, 3-4 min. Keep it bubbling for 1 min.

10. 10

    Scrape the custard into a shallow dish, press cling film onto the surface and chill for at least 1 hour, until cold.

11. 11

    Whip the cream with 20 g of the powdered sugar to firm peaks. Beat the cold custard smooth, then fold in the cream in two additions.

12. 12

    Keep the best-looking pastry rectangle for the top. Put one sheet on a serving plate and spread it with half the cream. Cover with the second sheet, spread the rest of the cream and finish with the reserved sheet.

13. 13

    Press the crumbs onto the sides with a spatula. Chill for 30 min so the layers set.

14. 14

    Dust the top with the remaining powdered sugar just before serving. Cut with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion.

Imported from italiazuccheri.it. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.