Steps for the Fruit Diplomat Cake

• Pour the milk into a saucepan, then bring it to a boil with the whole lemon zest, being careful to only get the yellow part.

  (I used lemon zest but a vanilla bean or a tablespoon of vanilla extract is fine too).

  In another small pan, whisk the eggs with the sugar. (both yolk and white).

  Then add the flour, mix with the whisk to remove any lumps.

  (If desired, you can replace the flour with cornstarch).

  Temper the mixture with a little milk poured in a stream, being careful to avoid the lemon peel getting into the cream — use a strainer. After adding all the milk, put it back on moderate heat.

  Put it back on the heat and keep stirring, you’ll see the pastry cream thicken in a few seconds.

  Turn off the heat and cover the quick pastry cream with plastic wrap in contact.

  Before using it, let it cool very well.

  (A tip: make it in advance — organize hours before so that once cold, you keep it in the fridge).

  

• First, prepare the 10.2-inch pan with a springform bottom, put parchment paper on the base while the sides should be buttered and dusted with flour. Preheat the oven to 356°F, static mode.

  

• Place the 4 whole eggs in the bowl (eggs should be at room temperature).

  Add the sugar and a pinch of salt (vanilla essence if desired).

  Activate the whisks and beat the mixture.

  The mixture should be fluffy and soft.

  (To achieve this result, the whisks should beat for 10/15 min.)

  Gently add the flour, potato starch, and a pinch of baking powder, previously sifted.

  Mix with the spatula from bottom to top.

  

• Pour the obtained batter into the greased and floured mold.

  Bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 35/40 minutes (or in a convection oven, at 320°F for about 30-35 minutes), until the surface of the sponge cake is golden (if it tends to darken too much, cover the cake tin with parchment paper and over that an aluminum foil).

  (Always do the toothpick test, avoiding completely pulling the cake out of the oven)

  

• Wait until it has cooled before removing it from the base.

  

• Now it’s time to prepare 3 disks of the same size as the sponge cake.

  From the rolls of puff pastry, cut out 3 disks about 10.2 inches in diameter and place them on 3 baking sheets, keeping their paper underneath; dust them with sugar and prick them with a fork.

  Also bake the edges, the scraps are needed at the end.

  

• Bake them one at a time in a preheated oven at 392°F for 15-20 minutes.

  

• Meanwhile, prepare the non-alcoholic soaking syrup for the cake.

  In a small pan, put the water, granulated sugar, and the whole zest of 1 untreated lemon (organic).

  Turn on the heat to medium-low and let it boil for about 15 minutes, until you get a syrup.

  After this time, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool completely.

  (If you want an alcoholic base, add it in at the end off heat).

• Now wash, dry, and cut some fruit for the internal filling. Add a little lemon juice to prevent oxidation.

  (Not all of it, leave some fruit whole for decorating the cake at the end).

  

• Cut the sponge cake into 2 disks of the same height.

  Put the cream in the pastry bag.

  A tip: use the detachable ring of the mold for assembling the cake better.

  Start with the first layer of puff pastry and cold pastry cream, then a disk of sponge cake soaked with a layer of syrup and then filled with a layer of pastry cream.

  (To make it quicker, I put the cream in the pastry bag and spread it well, forming a spiral).

  

• Sprinkle some drained fruit salad to avoid it being too wet.

  Repeat the steps: a puff pastry, pastry cream, a sponge cake disk, syrup, and pastry cream with cut fruit.

  

• For the final touch, place the last puff pastry disk upside down because it is straighter and smoother.

  

• Cover with cling wrap and keep it in the fridge for at least 1/2 hours so it sets.

  After the time, whip the cream.

  After two hours, remove the mold ring so the cake is well compact.

  

• Spread the cream around the entire circumference and top.

  We’ll help ourselves with spatulas.

  

• Crumble the excess puff pastry and spread it all around the circumference.

  Put the cream in the pastry bag and decorate the edges of the cake’s surface with swirls.

  

• Decorate with other fruits as desired.

  Spray a bit of gel spray on the fruit to keep it shiny and prevent it from browning.

  

• Keep the finished cake in the fridge before serving.

  Enjoy your meal.