Every now and then you find a recipe that you want to try. Well, that was this recipe for me. I made this for my husband and it wasn’t that hard and the ooooo’s and aaaaaa’s it produced was well worth it! I definitely give this recipe 4 out of 5 cakes J
Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Cake
1 Cup plus 2 tblsp sifted cake flour
2/3 Cup sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ Cup Milk
¼ Cup cooking Oil
2 Egg Yolks
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 Egg Whites
¼ Tsp cream of tartar
Pastry Crème
2 Cups whole milk
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out
6 eggs yolks
2/3 Cup sugar
¼ Cup cornstarch
Ganache
8 oz. Semiswet Chocolate
1 Cup Heavy Cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add milk, oil, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until combined. Beat an additional 3 minutes on high speed and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium to high speed until soft peaks form. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the egg white mixture and fold in. Gently pour the batter into a 9-inch greased pie pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Invert the pan onto a wire rack. Cool Completely.
Pastry Crème Filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 10-15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in ¼ Cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the empty saucepan.
Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. ( custard can be made up to 24 hours before)
Ganache: In a medium bowl, pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until melted.
Let set about 10 minutes before using.
To assemble: remove the cake from pan. Cut the cake in half horizontally. Place bottom layer on a serving plate or board, and spread with the pastry cream. Top with the second layer. Pour chocolate genache over and down the sides of the cake. Store in the refrigerator before use.