Frankfurt Crown

Ingredients

• 250 g soft butter
• 250 g sugar
• 1 tsp grated unprocessed lemon zest
• 5 eggs
• 400 g flour
• 100 g cornstarch
• 1 packet baking powder
• 80 ml milk
• 1 packet vanilla pudding mix
• 500 ml milk
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar (for dusting)
• 250 g soft butter
• 200 g powdered sugar
• 150 g currant jam
• 300 g hazelnut brittle (for sprinkling)
• cherry for garnish

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 180°C with fan and top heat. Grease and flour a large ring pan. Beat the butter with the sugar until fluffy, add the lemon zest. Fold in the eggs one at a time and beat for a total of 4 minutes. Mix the flour with the cornstarch and baking powder, then alternately stir into the egg mixture with the milk.

2. 2.

   Pour the batter immediately into the prepared ring pan and bake on the lower to middle rack for about 1 hour. Test with a skewer. Let the ring cool slightly in the pan, then remove it and set on a wire rack until completely cooled. Cut the cooled cake crosswise into three parts.

3. 3.

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

4. 4.

   Beat the room‑temperature butter until fluffy, gradually fold in sifted powdered sugar, then spoon in the pudding cream. Spread the currant jam on the lower cake layer. Brush both layers with 1/3 of the buttercream, assemble, and spread the remaining cream over the outside of the ring. (Reserve a little for garnish).

5. 5.

   Sprinkle the Frankfurt Crown all around with plenty of brittle. Chill until serving, then just before serving spray small dots of the remaining cream onto the crown and top with cherries.