Budget Cake

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make a budget cake? Gather the ingredients. Use yeast-free puff pastry specifically — it doesn't rise as much and has a crisper texture, like the layers of a Napoleon. Thaw the pastry ahead of time. The best way is to move it from the freezer into the fridge. That way it thaws very gently and behaves better when baking. This recipe is geared to standard store-bought pastry in two sheets.

2. Step 2:

   

   Line a baking sheet with plain parchment paper. Lay both sheets of pastry on it without rolling them out first.

3. Step 3:

   

   Bake the pastry in an oven preheated to 425°F (220°C), conventional (top-and-bottom) setting. Baking time is 15–20 minutes. Go by the look of the pastry too — it will rise a lot and turn golden. Cool the finished layers.

4. Step 4:

   

   While the layers bake and then cool, make the cream. How do you make the cream? Take a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the sugar and flour, then the egg yolks. Stirring constantly, pour in the milk. Whisk until smooth.

5. Step 5:

   

   Set the saucepan over low heat. Stirring constantly, wait first for the sugar to dissolve and then for the mixture to thicken. Be sure to stir the whole time, or it will start to scorch on the bottom. If you're not confident in yourself or your cookware, do it over a water bath.

6. Step 6:

   

   The mixture should come to a boil — bubbles will start appearing on the surface and it will "puff." Turn off the heat right away. The pastry cream base is ready.

7. Step 7:

   

   Cool the base. Be sure to cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap right onto the surface. Otherwise a skin will form on top.

8. Step 8:

   

   When the base has cooled but is still warm, add the butter. Since this is a budget cake, very little butter goes into the cream, which doesn't affect the flavor at all. The one thing is that you don't whip it like a regular pastry cream — just mix the butter into the base. While warm, the butter blends in very well.

9. Step 9:

   

   Take the top off the pastry layers — it's the most fragile part. Crush it into crumbs to decorate the top of the cake.

10. Step 10:

    

    Split the pastry layers themselves into several thinner ones. I got 6.

11. Step 11:

    

    Assemble the cake. You can do it with the cream still warm — that way it soaks into the pastry even better. Spread each layer with a few spoonfuls of cream. Cover the top and sides of the cake with cream too. There's plenty of cream — I even had a little left over.

12. Step 12:

    

    Crush the crumbs from the top layers as finely as you can with your hands. Sprinkle them over the top and, if there's enough, the sides. I only had enough for the top. Refrigerate the cake for two hours to let it soak. Serve the finished cake with tea or coffee. Enjoy!