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Cherry Karpatka
FOR THE CUSTARD
FOR THE CHOUX
Place the milk, about half the sugar, and the salt into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until simmering but not boiling.
Meanwhile, in a heat-proof mixing bowl whisk together the remaining sugar and cornstarch and then stir or whisk in the egg yolks until smooth. It will be fairly thick.
Once the milk is simmering, remove from the heat and then very gradually whisk in about ½ cup of it to the egg yolk mixture. Whisk vigorously to temper the eggs so they don’t scramble. Pour the egg mixture back into a saucepan with the remaining milk.
Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and continue whisking the mixture until it thickens, about 5 to 9 minutes. Don’t stop whisking or it can get lumpy and curdle.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
Transfer the mixture to a large shallow container. The larger surface area will help it cool faster. Cover with plastic wrap so the plastic is pressed against the surface of the custard (to prevent a skin from forming). Cool to room temperature. The custard needs to be at room temperature (not cold) for the later steps.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with the rack in the center. Grease the bottom and sides of two 9-inch springform pans with butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper circles. The butter on the bottom will help the paper stick to the pan and make it easier to spread the dough without the paper moving around. (If you only have one springform pan you will need to bake one layer first and then prep the same pan again to bake the second layer afterwards).
Add the water, butter, and salt to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour all at once. This helps to prevent clumps from forming in the paste.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the pan to the heat. Stirring constantly, continue to cook until the dough forms a ball and leaves a white residue on the bottom. (The cook time will vary depending on the pan you use, heat of your stovetop, etc. For some people it may only take a couple minutes, but it took me closer to 10 minutes to ensure the dough was really coming together nicely and forming a film on the bottom–look for the visual queues rather than relying on the timing).
Transfer the dough to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes. It should still be quite warm. With the mixer running, add one egg at a time until fully incorporated. The resulting batter should be smooth and glossy. You’ll know it has the correct consistency when the batter falls from the paddle in the shape of a long V.
Divide the dough between the prepared pans (or if you plan to reuse the same pan twice, add half the batter to the pan and set aside the remaining half until later–I had 420 grams of batter and put 210 grams into each pan). Spread the tops of the dough unevenly using the back of a spoon to create some peaks and divots. The look is meant to represent the Carpathian Mountains.
Bake for about 24 to 28 minutes until it’s puffed and evenly golden brown across the top. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Then remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat the process if using only one springform.
Note: Make sure your butter and pastry cream are about the same temperature before starting. You can even use a digital thermometer to check. They should both be at room temperature (around 70 to 75°F).
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the soft room temperature butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, a couple minutes.
Beat the crème pâtissière in its own bowl just to loosen it up and make sure it’s nice and smooth without any lumps. Then, with the mixer running on medium-low speed, gradually add the crème pâtissière to the butter mixture a couple of spoonfuls at a time. Keep mixing in the pastry cream a little at a time until it’s all incorporated. Continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
If the cakes haven’t finished cooling at this point, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the crème mousseline and set it aside at room temperature until you’re ready to assemble.
Place the clean ring from your springform pan onto a serving plate. If desired, line the inside edges of the springform pan with a wide strip of parchment paper (it will make it easier to remove the pan after assembling and chilling).
Place one of the two choux pastry layers (ideally the one that is less puffed up) inside the ring. Spread the vanilla custard over the top evenly, and then top with the remaining layer of choux pastry.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour but up to 3 hours to allow the filling to set. Remove the ring, peel off the parchment paper, and dust the top with powdered sugar before serving.