Classic Frankfurt Crown

Ingredients

• 250 g soft butter
• 250 g cane sugar
• 1 tsp untreated grated lemon zest
• 5 eggs
• 400 g spelt flour
• 100 g cornstarch
• 1 packet baking powder
• 80 ml milk (1.5% fat)
• 1 packet vanilla pudding mix
• 500 ml milk (1.5% fat)
• 3 tbsp cane sugar
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 250 g soft butter
• 200 g powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp currant jam
• 300 g hazelnut brittle
• 50 g garnish cherries

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 180°C (convection 160°C; gas: level 2–3). Grease and flour a large ring mold if needed. Beat butter with sugar until fluffy, add lemon zest. Add eggs one at a time, beating for total of 4 minutes.

2. 2.

   Combine spelt flour, cornstarch and baking powder, then alternately mix with milk into the egg mixture. Pour dough into ring mold and bake on lower to middle rack for about 1 hour. Then perform toothpick test. Let cake cool in mold slightly, remove from mold and let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut crosswise into three parts.

3. 3.

   For the cream, whisk vanilla pudding mix into 4 tbsp milk until smooth. In a pot bring remaining milk with sugar to boil, pour in pudding milk and thicken while stirring. Remove from heat, transfer to bowl, dust with powdered sugar and let cool.

4. 4.

   Beat butter until fluffy. Sift powdered sugar and gradually fold in. Finally fold in the pudding by spoonfuls. Spread one third of buttercream on both cake layers and assemble. Then spread currant jam over the cake and coat entire crown with remaining buttercream (reserve some for garnish).

5. 5.

   Generously sprinkle hazelnut brittle around the whole crown. Keep chilled until serving. Just before serving, spray the remaining cream onto the crown and garnish with cherries.