Honey cake with semolina custard

Instructions

Preparation of honey cake

1. Place butter, honey and sugar in a saucepan. Place over low heat and heat, stirring constantly, until all ingredients have dissolved and formed a uniform, liquid mass. Be careful not to boil the mixture, it should only dissolve and combine. When the mass is ready, remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool to lukewarm temperature.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda to avoid lumps and to aerate the dough. Then pour in the cooled honey-butter mixture. Beat the eggs into the dough and knead. You can initially use a spoon to pre-combine the ingredients, then knead by hand, or you can use a food processor.

3. Knead the dough until it is smooth, elastic and uniform. It should be soft but not sticky to your hands. If necessary, add a little flour if the mixture is too sticky.

4. Wrap the finished dough in cling film and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Chilling will make it easier to roll out and shape the pancakes, and will also allow the ingredients to blend better.

5. The dough prepared in this way is ready for further use, the recipe is for a large baking sheet 36x24 cm. Divide the dough into 7 portions and roll out into thin pancakes, which are then baked to create a traditional honey cake with semolina. The pancakes are rolled out well between two baking papers. Bake each pancake separately in a preheated oven to 180 C for 8 minutes.

Preparation of the cream

1. Pour the milk into a large pot and add the semolina and vanilla sugar. Mix thoroughly so that the semolina is evenly distributed in the milk and no lumps form.

2. Place the pot on low heat and start heating, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk. This will prevent the groats from settling to the bottom of the pot and the mass will be uniform. Continue stirring until the whole thing begins to thicken. Cook until the mass reaches the right consistency, it should be smooth, thick and free of lumps.

3. Once the mixture has thickened, remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool. You can cover the surface of the mixture with cling film or a lid to prevent a skin from forming. Gently stir it before using it again if it has become too dense.

4. Place the soft butter (at room temperature) in a large bowl. Add the powdered sugar, which should be sifted through a sieve beforehand to avoid lumps and achieve a perfectly smooth consistency.

5. Using a mixer set at medium speed, beat the butter and icing sugar. Mix for a few minutes until the mixture is fluffy, light and light in color. This is a key step that affects the lightness of the entire cream.

6. Once the butter and sugar are well beaten, gradually add the previously prepared and cooled semolina mass. Add it spoon by spoon, mixing thoroughly each time at medium speed so that the ingredients are perfectly combined. Repeat the process of adding semolina and mixing until all the ingredients are used.

Layering the honey pancakes

1. Make sure the honey cakes are completely cool before you start layering. This will prevent the cream from melting and will maintain the right consistency. Spread a layer of cream over the next cakes and press down gently to ensure the dough is well-positioned. Repeat the process, layering all the honey cakes with cream until you have used up the last one.

2. Spread a thin layer of semolina cream on top of the honey cake to create a base for decoration. You can sprinkle it with honey cake crumbs or use ground walnuts. Place in the fridge, preferably overnight, so that the cakes absorb the aroma of the cream and soften slightly.