Description
A delightful and elegant dessert featuring flaky puff pastry filled with rich, creamy vanilla custard. This Vanilla Custard Puff Pastry Cake combines the crispiness of freshly baked puff pastry with the smooth texture of homemade custard, creating a perfect balance of flavors and textures ideal for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Puff Pastry
- 1 sheet puff pastry
Custard Filling
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to get it ready for baking the puff pastry.
- Prepare Puff Pastry: Lay the puff pastry sheet on a clean surface and gently roll it with a rolling pin to smooth it out and slightly enlarge it.
- Score and Prick Pastry: Place the puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, score a 1-inch border around the edges of the pastry. Prick the center inside the border with a fork several times to prevent puffing in the middle.
- Bake Pastry: Bake the puff pastry in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and puffed up. Remove from oven and allow it to cool on the baking sheet.
- Heat Milk Mixture: In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk and heavy cream. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot but not boiling.
- Mix Egg Mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and creamy.
- Temper Eggs: Slowly pour about a cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to gently raise the temperature of the eggs.
- Combine and Thicken Custard: Gradually whisk the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cream. Return to medium heat and whisk constantly until the custard thickens and begins to bubble gently.
- Finish Custard: Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract and butter until fully combined. Transfer custard to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool to room temperature.
- Assemble Cake: Once the puff pastry is cooled, spread a thick layer of custard in the center within the scored border. Fold the edges of the puff pastry over the custard to form a rim, keeping the custard exposed.
- Final Bake: Place the assembled pastry back into the oven for 5-8 minutes to crisp the edges further and set the custard slightly.
- Serve: Remove from oven, let cool slightly, then slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Ensure not to overbake the puff pastry initially to maintain a tender center for the custard filling.
- Tempering the eggs prevents curdling and ensures a smooth custard texture.
- You can garnish the final dessert with powdered sugar or fresh berries for added flavor and presentation.
- Leftover custard can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- For a dairy-free option, substitute milk and cream with plant-based alternatives, though this may affect texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/6 of cake)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 145 mg
Keywords: vanilla custard, puff pastry, dessert, custard cake, easy dessert, baked custard puff pastry
