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Vanilla Custard Cake with Strawberry Filling

A tall white cake with layers of vanilla custard and strawberry jam encased in a thin layer of vanilla custard buttercream.
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Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 1 box white cake mix Betty Crocker Super Moist
  • 1 c flour
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 1/3 c milk 2% or whole
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 c sour cream room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla

Vanilla Custard

  • 3 c whole milk
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 7 large egg yolks
  • 3/4 c sugar
  • 6 tbsp cornstarch
  • 12 tbsp salted butter cut into 1 tablespoon slices

Strawberry Jam

  • 2/3 c homemade or store bought strawberry jam or preserves heaping

Vanilla Custard Buttercream (Icing)

  • 2/3 prepared vanilla custard
  • 2 c salted butter (4 sticks) room temperature
  • 7 c powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla)
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • For the cake preheat oven to 325 degrees
  • Prepare two 8-inch cake rounds. Spray and line with parchment paper.
  • To a large mixing bowl or stand mixer whisk together box cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.
  • In a separate bowl add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla. Whisk together then slowly add to the dry ingredients with the mixer on low.
  • Add the sour cream. Beat, scrape the bowl down and beat again on high for a minute until everything is fully combined.
  • Evenly distribute batter into both cake rounds. Bake for 50 minutes in the middle rack.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Turn cakes onto a wire rack to finish cooling to room temperature.
  • Once the cakes are room temperature wrap in saran wrap and place in the refrigerator.
  • While the cakes bake start on the vanilla custard.
  • Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl along with the sugar and cornstarch. Whisk to combine until pale yellow. This will be thick and hard to whisk at first. Just keep whisking.
  • In a medium pot add milk and vanilla and set over medium heat. Cook until scalding. There will be steam and tiny bubbles on the outside rim. Do not boil. Remove from the heat once scalded.
  • Pour 1/4 cup pours of the scalded milk to the egg mixture, whisking in between each pour. If you pour too fast and don't allow the eggs to temper, they will scramble.
  • Pour everything back to the pot and place over medium heat once more. Whisk constantly until the custard begins to boil and thicken. It's common for foam to form on the surface during this step. Continue whisking until it's thick like pudding. Do not turn the heat to high, if you cook it too fast you will need to run everything through a sieve to remove lumps.
  • Once thick remove from the heat and add butter two tablespoons at a time to the custard. Whisk and allow to melt until adding the next round of butter.
  • This custard will be split up, 1/3 will be used as a layer in the cake and 2/3 will be used in the icing. Place 1/3 of the custard in a small mixing bowl. Cover the top of the custard with saran wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Place in the refrigerator. Put the remaining 2/3 custard in a separate bowl, cover with saran wrap on the surface of the custard and keep on the counter to come down to room temperature. The temperature of the custard needs to be the same as the butter when making the icing or it can split. To cool the custard to room temperature more quickly, you can put in the refrigerator, just remember to get it out with enough time for it to lose its chill and be at room temperature for the icing.
  • For the icing beat 4 sticks of softened salted butter on high with a whisk attachment until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  • Add 1/2 tsp salt and powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until all has been added. Add the vanilla bean paste (or vanilla). Mix and scrape the bowl down and continue beating until incorporated.
  • Add the room temperature custard to the icing on low speed one tablespoon at a time. Whipping in between additions. Scrape the bowl and mix again until everything is fully incorporated and smooth.
  • Place the icing in either piping bags or gallon size Ziploc bags with the end cut off.
  • Remove cake from the refrigerator and cut the rounded tops off. Cut the cakes in half to create four thin cake layers.
  • Start building your layers, first with cake on bottom. Spread on a thin layer of icing on the cake then run the tip of the piping bag around the edge of the cake to create a wall of icing (also called a dam). This will keep the filling from spilling out of the layers. Add 1/3 cup jam or preserves in the middle and spread out.
  • Spread icing on the bottom of the second layer of cake and place on top of the first layer. Spreading a layer of icing on the bottom of the cake will prevent the jam from soaking into this second layer of cake and making it soggy. For this layer, spread another thin layer of icing over the top of the cake followed by another wall of icing. Instead of jam, put all the cold custard from the refrigerator in the middle.
  • Once again, ice the bottom of the third layer of cake just like the second layer. Place on top of the second layer. Spread on a thin layer of icing followed by a wall of icing around the perimeter. Add 1/3 cup jam or preserves to the middle and spread out. Just like the first layer.
  • Spread a thin layer of icing to the bottom of the fourth cake layer and place on top of the third layer. This is the final layer of the cake. Finish icing the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing.
  • Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  • Decorate on top with a fresh strawberry cut in half. Slice and serve.
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