Strawberry-Cream-Pie Cake

By courtneyepowell

Ingredients

• PASTRY LAYERS
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• Pate Brisee (see ingredients below)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Fine sanding sugar or granulated sugar
• FILLING
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch slices (2 cups), plus more, quartered, for serving
• 3/4 cup strawberry jam
• Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving
• PATE BRISEE
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup ice water

Preparation

Step 1

Make Pate Brisee: Pulse together flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea-size pieces remaining. Add 1/3 cup ice water and pulse until mixture holds together when pinched. If too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead once. Divide into 4 pieces. Pat into disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day, or freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in refrigerator before using.

Pastry layers: Preheat oven to 375 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of pastry dough into a 9-inch round, slightly less than 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing 1 or 2 rounds on each sheet. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 22 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

Filling: Whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk together milk and egg yolks in a bowl, then add to pan along with butter. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook 1 minute, whisking, then remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Whisk heavy cream to stiff peaks. Whisk pastry cream to loosen. Fold in whipped cream, then berries.

Spread 1/4 cup jam on a pastry layer. Top with one-third of pastry-cream mixture (about 1 1/4 cups), then a second pastry layer. Repeat with remaining jam, cream mixture, and pastry, ending with pastry. Drape with plastic wrap and refrigerate, at least overnight and up to 2 days. Serve, topped with whipped cream and more berries.

A long serrated knife works best for slicing this dessert.