Description
This slice has three different components and, when married together, make the most amazingly creamy, decadent dessert that you’ll ever try. Perfectly balanced and not too rich, you can go back for seconds or thirds!
Ingredients
Custard:
- 4 cups / 1 Litre soy milk (or plant milk of choice)
- 1 cup / 110g corn starch
- 1 cup / 200g raw sugar (organic if in the US to make sure it’s vegan)
- 1 cup / 230g coconut cream*
- 1½ tablespoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (optional but gives it a nice yellow colour, you won’t taste it)
Extras:
- ⅓ cup / 78ml aquafaba, (chickpea water)*
- 3 tablespoons icing/powdered sugar (organic if in the US to make sure it’s vegan)
Coconut whipped cream:
- Follow this recipe. (Make sure to double the recipe and add additional 6 tablespoons of plant milk. You can skip the chilling part.)
Pastry:
- 2 sheets (approximately 22cm x 22cm / 8.66 inches x 8.66 inches) vegan puff pastry*
- Icing/powdered sugar, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- For the custard: Add 500ml / 16.91 ounces of the milk to a medium-sized saucepan and place on medium-high heat until the milk warms up.
- In the meantime, add the rest of the custard ingredients along with the other 500ml /16.91 ounces of milk to a large bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Once the milk has come to a gentle simmer, pour in the custard mix and whisk for around 5-6 minutes until it starts to thicken or starts to stick to the bottom of the saucepan. You will feel it. Whichever one occurs first, then reduce the heat to low and cook stirring for an additional two minutes. The custard should be nice and thick. If it’s not, keep cooking and stirring until it is.
- Clean out the large bowl that you just used and pour the custard into it to let it cool. If it’s a nice cool day outside, take it outside to cool or leave it on the bench, occasionally stirring to disperse the heat.
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius (390 degrees Fahrenheit) and brush two sheet pans that would fit the puff pastry that you’re using with neutral oil. If you don’t have two racks in your oven, then you will just need to bake one at a time. Otherwise, you can do both at the same time, just make sure to bake the one on the bottom rack for a little longer or switch them around halfway through baking.
- For the coconut cream: While the oven heats, you can prepare the coconut whipped cream as per the recipe making sure to double it. You will also need to add 6 tablespoons of plant milk to the whipping cream so that it’s not as thick and heavy once you set it in the fridge. (Note: It will not need to be in the fridge for the recommended 2-3 hours as mentioned in the recipe).
- Once the cream is made, set it aside in the fridge while you prepare the puff pastry.
- For the pastry: Add 1 sheet of the puff pastry to the greased sheet pan and using a fork, go over the whole sheet of pastry putting holes in it. By doing this, you will prevent the pastry from puffing too much as it bakes.
- For the second sheet of puff pastry, you need to cut it into even squares. As my pastry was 21cm x 21cm / 8.27 inches x 8.27 inches, I measured it out to 9 (3×3 at 8cm / 3.15 inches each) even squares and cut a nice clean line for each. This will help with cutting the cake later on. Place both the sheet pans in the oven for 10-15 minutes until it’s golden and baked all the way through. Alternatively, do one at a time.
- If the custard has cooled down while the pastry is in the oven, you can mix the aquafaba that will be added to the custard. Only make the aquafaba once the custard has cooled.
- Addition to the custard: In a medium bowl, add the strained aquafaba and using an electric whisk, start whisking on low for a couple of minutes until you get a white fluffy peak. Increase the speed to medium and start adding a tbsp of sugar every 30 seconds or so until it’s all well combined. Increase the speed to high and whisk until you get stiff peaks and you can tip the bowl upside down and the mix stays still. This typically takes about 5-7 minutes.
- Bring the cooled custard over. If the custard is a little thick and clumpy, use the electric whisk to make it nice and creamy again.
- Using a silicone spatula, fold ¼ of the aquafaba meringue into the custard at a time making sure it’s well incorporated. Be gentle here as you want to add volume to the custard. DO NOT add it to the custard if it’s still hot/warm, it will dissolve.
- Assemble: Now you are ready to assemble the cake. In a springform square tin or square baking dish that is the closest to the size of your puff pastry, add the first layer of puff pastry that you had forked (and baked).
- Top that with the custard, making sure to spread over nice and even. Followed by the whipped cream and spreading evenly again.
- Top it off with the baked puff pastry squares and set it in the fridge for at least 5 hours, ideally overnight.
- Once you’re ready to serve, dust with icing sugar and cut along the lines of the squares.
- Keep stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Notes
Coconut cream: Coconut cream can be bought in a can. If you can’t find it, you can chill a can of full-fat coconut milk. Once chilled, scoop out the hard coconut cream on the top.
Aquafaba: To learn more about aquafaba, read my post about it.
Puff pastry: Most puff pastries in the supermarket are vegan. Just double-check the ingredients list.
Watch the full recipe video here.
- Diet: Vegan
