Basque Cake

I know this picture doesn't look so appetizing, but trust me: This cake is AMAZING. The Basque cake is a classical cake from Spain. It's a type of pound cake (or tea cake) filled with vanilla custard (A.K.A. pastry cream) which is added to the middle before the cakes are baked, making the cake very moist. In this recipe, it calls for rum, which is fine to bake with because the alcohol will cook out if you don't like or don't do alcohol, but I never add it anyways. But it is an option if you would like, and you can adjust the amount to suit your taste. Store it covered, in you fridge. It should keep for about a week this way. This happens to also be one of the hub's favorites that I make. He took the leftovers to work with him one day and apparently it was all his co-workers could talk about for the rest of the day. :)

Ingredients:
pan shmear
1 lb. 8 oz. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 lb 8 oz. granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
5 eggs at room temperature
1 lb 4 oz cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark rum or imitation rum flavoring (optional)
1 lb pastry cream
2 oz. thinly sliced almonds (optional)
Powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Grease the inside of two 10 inch round cake pans using pan shmear or pan spray

2. Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.

4. Place the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a No. 5 (10mm) plain tip. Pipe in a spiral pattern over the bottom of your prepared pan, starting from the center and working your way out. Pipe an additional ring around the very edge. Repeat with the second pan.

5. Stir the rum into the pastry cream. Divide the pastry cream between the pans on top of the batter and spread it out evenly within the extra ring of batter you did in step 4. Make sure the cream doesn't touch the edges of the pan.

(This is actually a picture of my cake-making partner-in-crime, Veronica, because I forgot to take a picture of my pastry layer before I put the last batter layer on my cake. Check out her cute little baby bump :))

6. Pipe the remaining batter in a spiral (starting in the center and working out just like step 4) on top of the pastry cream in each pan. If needed, use a small spatula to spread the batter to the edge of the pan. If using, sprinkle slice almonds over the tops.

7. Bake at 350F for approximately 50 minutes. Allow to cool in the pans.

Once cool, remove the cakes from the pans and dust with powdered sugar.

Cut into desired portions and enjoy!