This cake is two layers of pâte sablée (shortcrust pastry dough) sandwiching either a pastry cream with lemon/rum flavoring or cherry jam.
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
- 11⁄4 cup milk
- 1⁄3 cup heavy cream
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1⁄4+ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- zest of 1 lemon
- 4-6 tsp dark rum
Cake Layers
- 280g all-purpose or cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 250g (16 tbsp) unsalted butter (room temp)
- 160g brown sugar
- 125g almond flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs (room temp)
Method
Make the pastry cream (day before)
- In a medium saucepan, bring 11⁄4 cup milk and 1⁄3 cup heavy cream just to a simmer
- Meanwhile in a medium mixing bowl
- Whisk together the egg and 2 egg yolks, 1⁄4 cup brown sugar, and 2 tbsp corn starch
- When ready, slowly whisk in the hot cream
- Transfer back to the sauce pan
- Return the pan to heat and keep whisking until thickened
- Remove from heat and whisk in 4-6 tsp rum, 1 tsp vanilla, lemon zest
- Let cool to room temp
- Cover in contact with plastic and refrigerate if making ahead
Make the cake batter
- Bring 3 eggs and 2 sticks butter to room temperature
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 280g flour and 1 tsp baking powder
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment
- Cream together 2 sticks butter, 160g brown sugar, 125g almond flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp vanilla
- Beat in the 3 eggs 1 at a time
- Continue until very fluffy
- Scrape down the sides and add in the flour
- Mix on low until just combined
Build the cake
- Butter a 9″ round cake pan and line with parchment (and butter the top of that as well)
- Transfer the cake batter into a piping bag with a 1/2″ circle tip
- Transfer the pastry cream into a piping bag with as big as big of a tip as you have
- Pipe a disk of batter on the bottom of the cake pan
- Pipe a ring of batter on top of that disk, around the inside perimeter of the pan to hold the filling
- Pipe the pastry cream into the middle of the cake
- Pipe another disk of batter on top
- Cover with plastic wrap and smooth the top with your hand
- Refrigerate until firm
- Brush cake top (twice?) with egg wash and score it in a pattern
Bake and finish
- Bake at 350°F for 45–50 minutes
- Let cool for 20 minutes before unmolding
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely
- Serve at room temperature
- Store in the refrigerator