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1
Sponge Cake: Preheat oven to 350F Butter and line the bottom of an 8 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
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Beat the eggs and sugar on high speed for about five minutes, or until they are thick, fluffy and light colored, at this point beat in the vanilla extract.
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3
Sift 1/2 of the flour over the batter and gently fold through with a rubber spatula.
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4
Sift the remaining flour over the batter and fold together.
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5
Whisk about 1/2 cup of the batter into the melted butter and then gently fold the butter mixture back into the rest of the batter.
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Pour immediately into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until springy to the touch.
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7
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
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8
Run a spatula or sharp knife around the inside of the pan and then invert the cake onto a wire rack.
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9
Remove parchment paper.
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10
Pastry Cream: In a medium-sized stainless steel bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks.
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Sift the flour and cornstarch together and then add to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste.
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Set aside.
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13
Meanwhile in a saucepan bring the milk to boiling over medium heat.
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14
Remove from heat and add slowly to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
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15
Place the egg mixture back into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly.
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16
When it boils, continue to whisk constantly for another 30 - 60 seconds until it becomes thick.
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17
Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
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Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming.
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Let the cream cool in the refrigerator for a few hours.
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20
Chocolate Glaze: Place the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl.
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Set aside.
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Bring the cream just to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat.
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Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for a 3-5 minutes.
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Stir until smooth.
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Set aside for a few minutes until it has thickened to pouring consistency.
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26
To Assemble: With a serrated knife slice the cake in half horizontally.
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27
Remove the top half and set it aside.
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Place the bottom half on your serving plate, cut side up.
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29
Pour or spoon the pastry cream onto the cake, spreading to make an even layer.
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30
Place the top half of the cake (cut side down) onto the filling.
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Pour the glaze onto the center of the cake and carefully spread the glaze, with a spatula, to the edges of the cake.
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Refrigerate a few hours before serving to allow the glaze to set and flavors to mingle.
