This is my favorite way to use a cake that didn't quite come out as planned. I pair it with homemade custard and a sturdy whipped cream so it won't weep and sink. I prefer to use strawberry pie filling as I like the texture and durability, but you can also use fresh.
1 mile high pound cake or 15-18 cups of baked cake, cubed
Real custard, recipe below
1-2 cans strawberry pie filling
Sturdy whipped cream, recipe below
2 lbs strawberries, washed, sliced and tossed in a little sugar
In a large bowl or trifle dish, alternate layers of cake, custard, strawberries pulled from the pie filling, and whipped cream. End with a layer of whipped cream and top with strawberries.
Real Custard
3 cups whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted cold butter, sliced
Add milk and vanilla to a saucepan and heat over medium until lightly steaming. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heat proof bowl. When the milk is hot, drizzle about a quarter of the milk into the egg yolk mixture in a slow and thin stream, stirring the egg yolks at the same time. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk. Heat over medium, stirring and scraping the bottom and corners of the pan constantly, until it begins to bubble. Boil for 1 minute, still whisking. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, mixing until fully combined. If you see lumps, strain into a bowl or carefully use an immersion blender to smooth it out. Place into a bowl for storage, and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the custard. Refrigerate until fully cold.
Sturdy Whipped Cream
2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream, very cold
2 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Add heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sprinkle pudding mix over the top in an even layer. Whip until lightly thickened. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue to whip until soft peaks form.
