Vanilla Heart Shaped Cake With Raspberry And Custard Filling Recipes

VANILLA CUSTARD WITH RASPBERRY MASH

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 10 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the empty saucepan.
• Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Pour into individual dessert dishes and chill. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. (The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Cover with plastic wrap if you are keeping it longer than that.)
• Raspberry Mash: Place 1/4 of a pint of raspberries in a bowl with the sugar and mash it with the back of a fork. Toss in the remaining 1/4-pint of raspberries and gently toss to coat.
• Whip the cream with the sugar and serve on the custard and mash.

VANILLA HEART-SHAPED CAKE WITH RASPBERRY-AND-CUSTARD-FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread coconut in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry but not browning, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on sheet.
• Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Butter a 10-by-2-inch heart-shaped cake pan (see cook's note for product link). Line bottom with parchment, butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a heatproof bowl set over (but not in) a pot of simmering water, whisk together eggs, sugar, and vanilla seeds until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm. Remove from pot and beat on high speed until thick and pale, about 4 minutes. Add flour mixture; whisk just to combine. Add butter; whisk to combine. Add crème fraîche, milk, and vanilla extract; whisk to combine.
• Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth top, and bake until top springs back when lightly touched and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes, then invert onto rack, remove parchment, and let cool completely. Cake can be made ahead to this point, wrapped in plastic, and stored at room temperature up to 1 day.
• Whisk pastry cream to lighten, then whisk heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold whipped cream into pastry cream. Using a serrated knife, split cake in half horizontally. Use a 4 1/2-to-5-inch heart-shaped cutter to cut out center of bottom layer. Spread a thin layer of cream mixture (about 1 cup) over other (uncut) layer, then arrange about 2 3/4 cups berries over cream, covering entire layer.
• Dollop about 1 1/2 cups more cream mixture over berries, spreading with an offset spatula to cover. Place cut-out layer on top, bottom-side up. Fill heart-shaped hollow with remaining cream mixture. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or, covered, up to 24 hours.
• Frost top and sides of cake with crème-fraîche whipped cream. Sprinkle border with coconut. Arrange remaining 1 1/4 cups berries over cream mixture in heart-shaped hollow. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or, covered, up to 8 hours.