Classic Saint Honoré Cake

Instructions

1. Prepare Choux Pastry: In a small saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt. Heat and stir until melted and almost boiling. Add flour all at once and mix vigorously. Cook while stirring constantly until a white film forms on the bottom. Transfer to a mixer bowl and cool slightly. Gradually add eggs and yolk one at a time, mixing well after each addition until dough is smooth.
2. Pipe and Bake Choux Pastry: Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a 13 mm smooth nozzle. On baking paper, trace two rings (20 cm and 10 cm diameter) on the reverse side. Pipe dough following the rings with a scraper. On another tray, pipe small cream puffs from remaining dough. Dust rings with icing sugar. Wet finger with egg white and smooth tips of cream puffs, then brush them with egg white.
3. Bake Pastry: Bake both trays in a static oven preheated to 180°C for about 30 minutes. If baking both trays simultaneously, turn them halfway through for even cooking. If baking individually, use the same temperature and time.
4. Prepare Puff Pastry Base: Cut a 22 cm disc from the puff pastry sheet. Place on baking paper on a tray. Prick surface with a fork and sprinkle with icing sugar. Bake in a static oven at 180°C for about 25 minutes.
5. Make Custard Cream: Soak gelatin sheets in water. Pour milk into a saucepan and heat with vanilla pod to infuse. In a bowl, mix egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch without whipping. Remove vanilla pod from milk, then pour hot milk slowly into egg mixture while stirring. Return mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until it boils and thickens. Remove from heat, add soaked gelatin, and mix until dissolved. Let cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for about an hour.
6. Prepare Italian Meringue: In a saucepan, combine sugar and water and heat to 121°C. Meanwhile, whip egg whites until foamy. Slowly pour hot sugar syrup into egg whites while continuing to whip until lukewarm.
7. Combine Custard and Meringue: Whisk cooled custard to smooth it. Fold Italian meringue into custard in two or three batches using a spatula, mixing gently from bottom up to make the Saint Honoré cream.
8. Fill Cream Puffs and Make Caramel: Make a hole at the base of each cream puff with scissors and fill with Saint Honoré cream. In a pan, melt sugar over medium heat to make caramel, watching carefully.
9. Dip Cream Puffs in Caramel: Using tongs, dip the tip of each filled cream puff into caramel to coat.
10. Assemble Cake: Spread a layer of Saint Honoré cream on the puff pastry base and level with a spatula. Place the larger choux ring on the edge and the smaller ring in the center. Fill spaces between pastry pieces with leftover cream to level. Arrange caramel-coated cream puffs on the outer pastry ring, securing them with cream drops or a touch of caramel if needed.
11. Decorate with Whipped Cream: Whip fresh cream with icing sugar lightly. Using a piping bag fitted with a Saint Honoré nozzle, pipe whipped cream over the surface for decoration. Place one cream puff in the center as a finishing touch.
12. Chill Before Serving: Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 2 hours before serving.