Cake Inspired by St. Honoré

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PASTRY

• 1
  First, prepare the choux pastry. In a pot, mix water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the flour. Return to the stove and stir on low to medium heat for about 2 - 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and compact, and a white film forms on the bottom of the pot.
• 2
  Transfer to a mixing bowl and mix with a flat beater on low speed for a few minutes. Then, gradually add the eggs one by one (or in parts). The resulting dough should have a creamy consistency. We need it to hold its shape on the baking sheet, so be careful with the last part of the eggs. Watch the consistency and, if necessary, add only part of the remaining egg. Conversely, if the dough is too thick, feel free to thin it with a little water (if you don't have any unused cracked egg on hand).
• 3
  Cover the dough with cling film to prevent it from drying out (it must touch the surface) and let it cool completely.
• 4
  Prepare the puff pastry (take it out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes). Roll it out and cut out a heart shape (width at the widest point 22 – 24 cm). Lightly prick the surface with a fork.
• 5
  Place the choux pastry into a piping bag with a round nozzle (0.8-1 cm). First, pipe a strip of choux pastry along the entire edge of the heart (this will form the edge of the base).
• 6
  Then, on another baking sheet lined with parchment paper, pipe small biscuits with a diameter of 2 – 3 cm with enough space between them (they will increase in volume).
• 7
  Place the cream puffs in an oven preheated to 220˚C (top and bottom heat) and immediately reduce the temperature to 190˚C. Bake for about 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 170˚C and bake until golden (about 10-15 minutes). Do not open the oven during baking. It is really important for the moisture to escape from the cream puffs, so watch their color and leave them in long enough (they must be golden, not too pale).
• 8
  Then heat the oven to 180˚C top and bottom heat and place the baking sheet with the heart in the oven and bake until golden (about 20 minutes, depending on the size of the heart).

INSTRUCTIONS FOR BERRY PURÉE

• 1
  Simmer together 450 g of frozen berries (especially wild blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) and 120 g of water. Blend with an immersion blender and strain through a sieve to obtain about 450 g of smooth purée. (Keep 50 g of purée for the glaze on the cream puffs)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUDDING CREAM

• 1
  In a bowl, whisk a little purée, pudding powder with egg yolks, and sugars. Add to the remaining purée and bring the mixture to a boil in a saucepan and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in the butter and squeezed gelatin, which you have previously soaked in cold water.
• 2
  Cover the surface with cling film and let it cool in the fridge, stirring occasionally, to a temperature slightly above room temperature.
• 3
  Then whisk and fold in the whipped cream with a spatula.

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Mix 200 g of powdered sugar and 50 g of berry purée until smooth just before finishing the cream puffs.
• 2
  Fill a piping bag with part of the cream, make a hole through the bottom of the cream puffs with a suitable object (e.g., a narrow piping nozzle) and fill the cream puffs with cream. Dip the filled cream puffs in the glaze and let them set.
• 3
  Spread part of the cream on the cake base and use a chosen piping nozzle to apply the base cream on the base. Alternate decorative cream application with placing the cream puffs.