Princess Torte
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1 double layer sponge cake (bought or see recipe here)
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1 lot of creme patisserie (see below)
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150g raspberry jam
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600ml pure cream
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1/4 cup icing sugar
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500grams marzipan
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pink food colouring gel
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Sugar flowers
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Icing pen
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sugar pearls
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1 tablespoon icing sugar to dust
Step 1 - Make the creme patisserie and cool. Whip the cream with icing sugar until stiff and keep in the fridge until needed. Cut each of the sponge halves in half horizontally so that there are four rounds.-I only used 3 out of the 4 rounds.
Step 2 - Spread two of the rounds with the raspberry jam and fill a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle with the creme patisserie. Pipe two circles of creme patisserie around the edge of one of the rounds(this acts as a border to prevent the creme from leaking out of the edges) . Place one round on your serving plate and fill in the centre with whipped cream and using an offset spatula, smooth out. Place the second round on top of this and pipe two borders around the edge on this round too and create a dome using the stiff whipped cream. Place the last sponge layer on top and shape the dome carefully. Place the cake in the fridge while you do the marzipan.
Step 3 - Tint the marzipan with the pink colouring gel and knead until it is completely tinted and there are no streaks. Shape into a disc shape. Dust a clean surface with icing sugar or cornflour and roll out the marzipan large enough to cover the whole dome. I specify 500grams of marzipan but you will only use about 400grams of it but I find it much easier to roll out more and then cut off the excess. Carefully lift it on the back of the rolling pin and lift drape it over the dome. Trim the edges and tuck any excess under the cake. Dust the top with some icing sugar and decorate with sugar flowers. Draw a circle in icing around the cake and lines between the flowers and affix sugar pearls on top.
Creme Patisserie
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1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
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1 oz (25 g) caster sugar
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7 fl oz (200 ml) whole milk
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¾ oz (20 g) plain flour
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¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Step 1 - To make the pastry cream, break the egg into a medium-sized mixing bowl, then add the egg yolk and sugar. Next, put the milk on to warm over a gentle heat while you whisk the eggs and sugar together until the mixture becomes thickened and creamy about 1 minute with an electric hand whisk on the first speed. Then sift in the flour and whisk that in.
Step 2 - Now turn the heat up to bring the milk to boiling point and then whisk the milk into the egg mixture. After that return the whole lot to the pan and continue to whisk, this time with a balloon whisk, over a medium heat until the mixture becomes very thick keep the whisk going all the time because the mixture can catch very easily if you dont. As soon as a bubble on the surface bursts, remove the sauce from the heat and quickly pour it into a bowl, then stir in the vanilla extract.