Honey layer cake with plum butter and custard

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Make the dough

   Sift the dry ingredients onto a work surface, add the remaining dough ingredients, and knead until smooth. Cover and let rest for about 30 minutes.

2. Bake four layers

   Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll each piece out to the size of your baking sheet, transfer it to the floured underside of an inverted baking sheet or to parchment paper, and bake at 200 °C (400 °F) until brown, watching carefully so it does not burn. Carefully slide the baked layers onto a flat surface.

3. Make the filling

   Bring most of the milk to a boil with the sugar. Whisk the egg yolks, flour, and Zlatý klas pudding mix into the remaining milk, pour into the boiling milk, and cook until a smooth pudding forms. Let cool to the same temperature as the butter. Beat the butter, then gradually beat in the pudding and rum a little at a time to keep the filling from curdling.

4. Assemble the cake

   Reserve about 100 g of filling for the top and divide the rest in half. Spread half the filling over the first cake layer, add the second layer, and spread it with plum butter. If the plum butter is thick, thin it with a little hot water. Add the third layer, spread with the remaining half of the filling, and cover with the fourth layer. Press the cake down; you can place a board on top to weigh it down lightly.

5. Glaze and let rest

   Spread the reserved filling over the top, then pour over a cooled, pourable glaze made by melting the chocolate with the shortening. Let the cake rest in a cool place at least until the next day. Slice with a hot serrated knife and let stand briefly at room temperature before serving.

   Recipe by: Iva Vargová

Tip: Trim the edges immediately after baking, while the layers are still soft; cooled honey cake layers are brittle and break when cut. Use a board or baking sheet as a template.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Medové rezy so slivkovým lekvárom a pudingovým krémom