Polish Carpathian Mountain Cream Cake with Lemon

Method

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6 and line 2 x 23cm / 9 inch round, loose bottomed baking tin with parchment.
2. 2. For the choux pastry, place the butter, water and milk in a saucepan and place over a medium heat, allowing the butter to melt. Once the butter has melted, turn the heat up to high and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Once the mixture is boiling, quickly add the flour, stirring vigorously until a cohesive dough forms that comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove the dough to a plate and spread out to allow it to cool slightly.
3. 3. Once the dough has cooled slightly - which should take 5 - 7 minutes, place it back into the pan and beat in the eggs a little at a time. You may not need to add all of the egg mixture so only add as much as you need to achieve a ‘dropping consistency’ - that is, until the dough only takes a couple of seconds to drop from a spoon when held up.
4. 4. Spread the dough into the lined baking tins and bake for 20 minutes until puffed and golden then remove to a wire rack and let the choux discs cool completely.
5. 5. Whilst the choux bakes, make the pastry cream by whisking together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl for 2 - 3 minutes until they become slightly lighter in colour. Whisk in the flour and cornflour and set aside.
6. 6. Place the milk into a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer then remove from the heat. Slowly pour a small amount of the hot milk onto the egg mixture, whisking all the time, until combined. Doing this helps prevent the eggs from scrambling so don’t skip this step! Now, pour the rest of the hot milk over the mixture and stir to combine.
7. 7. Place the mixture back into the pan and place over a medium heat. Bring the mixture back to the boil, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened considerably.
8. 8. Pour the pastry cream into a clean bowl and cover with cling film - allowing the cling film to stick to the top of the pastry cream so as to stop a skin forming then set the mixture aside until completely cool. When cool, place into the fridge until needed.
9. 9. When you are ready to assemble, whip the cream to soft peaks then add the pastry cream and whisk again to combine them together to soft peaks then fold in the vanilla bean paste and lemon zest.
10. 10. Slice the choux pastry disc in half and lightly crush the raspberries. Spread ½ of the raspberries on the bottom of the choux then top with the cream filling, spreading it out with a spatula to the sides then top with the remaining raspberries and the other half of the choux pastry.
11. 11. Dust the whole cake with icing sugar and decorate with lemon zest & raspberries.

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Ingredients

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