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Puff Pastry Cake with Custard and Apples

17/11/2023

The puff pastry cake with custard and apples is a delicious dessert that combines the crispiness of puff pastry with the sweetness of custard cream and the freshness of apples. Here is the recipe with an Italian touch:

Ingredients

  • 1 rectangular roll of puff pastry
  • 500 ml of milk
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 100 g of granulated sugar
  • 40 g of all-purpose flour
  • Lemon zest (untreated)
  • 1 vanilla pod (or a teaspoon of vanilla extract)
  • 3-4 apples (Golden or Renette type)
  • Lemon juice
  • Icing sugar (for decoration)

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the custard: in a small pot, heat the milk with the lemon zest and the seeds from the vanilla pod. Bring almost to a boil and then turn off the heat.
  2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until you get a light and fluffy mixture.
  3. Add the sifted flour to the egg mixture, continuing to stir to avoid lumps.
  4. Remove the lemon zest and vanilla pod from the milk and pour the hot milk slowly into the egg and sugar mixture, stirring constantly.
  5. Transfer everything back to the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until the cream thickens.
  6. Once ready, transfer the cream to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap in contact to avoid forming a crust. Let it cool completely.
  7. In the meantime, peel the apples, remove the core, and cut them into thin slices. Put them in a bowl with a little lemon juice to prevent them from browning.
  8. Roll out the puff pastry on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Prick the bottom with a fork to prevent it from puffing up too much during baking.
  9. Pour the cold custard cream onto the puff pastry, leveling it well with a spatula.
  10. Arrange the apple slices on the cream in a harmonious way, creating a radial pattern or as you prefer.
  11. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 30-40 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden.
  12. Remove from the oven and let the puff pastry cake with custard and apples cool slightly before dusting it with icing sugar.

Curiosity

This cake is a variation of the classic apple pie, but the addition of cream and puff pastry makes it more sophisticated and also suitable for special occasions. Puff pastry was already highly appreciated in ancient Rome, however, the modern version as we know it today is the result of French culinary innovation.