Durian Custard Layer Cake

I made Durian Custard Cake after seeing a facebook post. Since I was already planning to bake cotton cheesecake, I thought why not replace the regular vanilla sponge with the cotton cheesecake. Well,  that may not be a good idea after all.... though the cake tasted really good, I think the rich & amazingly delicious durian custard just overrode the subtly-rich cheesecake. Maybe the cake would taste as good just with a regular sponge cake... why waste the cheese.. right? Anyway, I won't really know unless I make it again using the vanilla sponge.

Durian Custard Layer Cake

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake
Recipe by Alex Goh from Fantastic Cheesecake.

Ingredients:
160g cream cheese
25g butter
120g milk
40g flour
30g cornflour
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
100g sugar
pinch of salt

Method:

1. Grease & line the bottom of two 20-cm oval pans. Wrap outside of the pans in a foil. (I used one 14-cm & one 18-cm round pans.)
2. Place cream cheese, butter & milk in a mixing bowl & stir over double-boiler until thick. Remove it from double-boiler.
3. Add in flour & cornflour & mix until well combined. Add egg yolk & continue mixing until well blended.
4. In a clean & dry bowl, whip the egg white until foamy. Then add in cream of tartar, sugar & salt & continue whipping until soft peak.
5. Fold in the meringue, in thirds, into the cheese mixture & mix well.
6. Pour the mixture into the pans & bake in water bath at 160 deg C for 40-45 minutes (I baked for 30 mins.) or until firm & golden brown.
7. Remove cake from the oven. Remove the cakes from the mould immediately. Set aside to cool.

Durian Custard
Recipe by Kak Fida @ My Resipi.

Ingredients:
250g durian flesh
1000 ml diluted coconut milk (I used 500ml regular milk & 500ml water.)
300ml thick coconut milk
1 packet (12g) agar-agar powder
6 tbsp custard powder
200g fine sugar
1/4 tsp salt
yellow colouring

Method:

1. Blend durian flesh together with the diluted coconut milk. Strain & pour into a pot. 
2. Add in the rest of the ingredients & cook over medium fire, stirring continuously, until mixture thickens. Remove from fire & set aside.

How I assembled my cake:

1. Prepare a ring mould. Wrap the bottom of the mould with a cling wrap. Then place the mould on a cake base. 
2. Cut the cake into two horizontally. The diameter of baked cake must be about 2cm smaller than the mould because the outer part of the cake served later will be covered with the custard.
3. Place one piece of the cut cake into the mould, positioning it in the center.
4. Then pour the custard into the mould, making sure the cake is totally covered with custard.
5. Then gently place the other piece of cake into the mould & pour some more durian custard.
6. Decorate the top of cake using the remaining custard or toasted sliced almond. (I left the top plain.)
7. Allow the cake to cool down. Then chill it. 
8. Before serving, remove the plastic base by sliding it out gently while the cake is still on the cake base.
9. Then lift up the mould gently. Slice & serve.

NB: If there's leftover custard, pour it into jelly moulds & chill them. Serve as durian pudding.

I'm posting this entry to Aspiring Bakers #33 (July 2013) - Tropical Spiky Month hosted by Charmaine of MiMi Bakery House.

I'm aso linking this post to  Bake Along  hosted by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from Kitchen Flavours and Lena from Frozen Wings.