Shortcrust cake with custard and raspberries

This shortcrust cake with custard and raspberries is the perfect recipe for right now, when raspberry season is in full swing and we can enjoy the sweetest, sun-ripened berries :). It has everything you love – the best buttery shortcrust pastry with ground almonds, plenty of creamy custard and delicious raspberries. A wonderful summer cake that’s very hard to resist ;).

Note: You can reduce the amount of custard if you prefer. In that case, prepare it using 900 ml milk and 2 packets of custard powder.

Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry:

• 375 g plain flour
• 60 g ground almonds
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 220 g cold butter, cubed
• 200 g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• a pinch of salt

Place all the ingredients for the shortcrust pastry in a food processor and process (or make the dough by hand, cutting the butter into the flour with a knife before adding the remaining ingredients) until the mixture starts to form crumbs. Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for 30–60 minutes.

After removing the dough from the fridge, scatter half of the mixture into a 23 × 33 cm baking tin lined with baking paper. Press it firmly and evenly into the base. Chill for a further 30 minutes.

Blind bake the pastry at 180°C for 15–18 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Ingredients for the custard:

• 1.4 litres milk
• 3 packets vanilla or custard-flavoured custard powder, without added sugar (each packet designed for 500 ml milk)
• 12 g vanilla sugar

Prepare the custard according to the instructions on the packet, adding the amount of sugar specified on the packet (approximately 100 g) as well as the vanilla sugar listed above. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.

Additionally:

• 450 g raspberries
• 1 tbsp potato starch

Sprinkle the raspberries with the potato starch and gently toss to coat.

Remove the partially baked pastry from the oven. Spread the custard evenly over the base, spoonful by spoonful. Scatter the raspberries over the custard. Take the remaining pastry mixture from the fridge and scatter it evenly over the top. If you shaped it into a ball before chilling, simply grate it over the cake using the large holes of a box grater.

Bake the shortcrust cake with custard and raspberries at 180°C for approximately 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. The cake can be dusted with additional icing sugar before serving.

Enjoy!