Steps for Grandma’s Soft and Creamy Cake

• To prepare the cake, start with the base by making the shortcrust pastry first.

  The dough can be made by hand in a bowl or with a simple food processor or stand mixer.

  In the bowl of the stand mixer, place the sugar with the butter cut into slightly softened pieces, and work for a few minutes on speed 2, then add the eggs, the grated organic lemon peel, continuously working, the salt, and finally the sifted flour and baking powder.

  Quickly work the dough and mix the ingredients well. If necessary, add a dusting of flour, it shouldn’t stick.

  Pour it onto a work surface, compact the dough by hand, form a ball, and place it in the fridge to rest for about 30 minutes.

  

• While the dough rests, prepare the custard, heat the milk in a saucepan, in the meantime beat the eggs with the sugar with a whisk.
  I used 2 whole eggs, but you can substitute with 4 yolks.

  Add the cornstarch or flour and a bit of the just heated milk, trying to avoid lumps.

  Add the remaining heated milk, the vanilla, and the lemon zest (be careful not to include the white part) and put on the stove over medium-low heat, you shouldn’t bring to high heat, too much boiling gives an egg smell at the end of cooking.
  Continue to stir until the cream is fully thickened. If it turns out too thick, add butter or milk until achieving the desired consistency. If too liquid, add a full teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved separately with a little milk, without creating lumps.

  Once the custard is ready, pour it into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap to avoid forming a crust and let it cool in the fridge.
  

  

• Take the shortcrust from the fridge and divide it in two, the bottom piece slightly larger, roll out a sheet on a sheet of parchment paper to a thickness of about 1/8 inch, make a nice circle and line a round pan of 9-10 inches if you want a tall cake, otherwise use a larger one, then prick the edges with a fork and remove the excess edges.
  Take the custard from the fridge, mix well, it shouldn’t have lumps otherwise blend it with an immersion blender.
  Pour the cream onto the shortcrust base, level well.
  Roll out the remaining shortcrust and cover the cake, cut the excess edges, prick well with a fork, brush the surface with some melted butter and milk.
  Sprinkle the surface with pine nuts.
  

  
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• Bake the Grandma’s Cake in a preheated static oven at 320°F for about 50 minutes on the lower shelf, or 40 minutes with fan, then increase the temperature to 355°F and bake for another 10 minutes or 8 minutes with fan.
  If the pine nuts color too much during baking, cover with aluminum foil.
  The baking minutes depend also on your oven’s power, check visually when to remove from the oven.
  The cake is ready when it turns golden on the surface, slightly puffs up (then drops back down) and the pine nuts are toasted but not burnt!
  Once baked, remove and let it cool completely, do not cut immediately as the cream needs to set with the shortcrust.
  Sprinkle with plenty of powdered sugar and serve your delicious Grandma’s cake

  
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