Enriched dough

Method

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the orange zest followed by the milk, eggs and cream. On top of this, add the sugar, salt, flours and yeast. Knead the dough on a medium speed for around 15 minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl throughout to ensure all the mixture is combined.

2. Next, slowly add the cubed butter a few pieces at a time, leaving about 20-30 seconds between each addition. Continue kneading for 12-15 minutes, until the dough comes away cleanly from the side of the bowl.

3. Once kneaded, take your dough out of the bowl and shape into a ball. Put it in a lightly greased bowl and lightly grease the top of the dough. Cover the top of the dough directly with cling film, and then cover the bowl with cling film. Proof in the fridge overnight (minimum 12 hours)

4. The next day, once your dough has proofed, take it out of the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin, and roll it out into an oval shape to approximately half an inch thick.

5. Cut two circles out of your dough, the same circumference as the bottom of your cake tin or ring mould. (If you’re using a ring mould, you can use the ring mould to cut the dough. If you’re using a cake tin, you can use a pizza wheel to cut around the bottom of the tin.)

6. Place the dough into your greased and lined cake tins/ring moulds. Cover with a tea towel and leave to proof for 2-2.5 hours. Whilst proofing, make your crème pâtissière.

7. Start the crème pâtissière by heating milk and vanilla in a saucepan over a medium heat. Whilst this is heating up, in a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolk, sugar, cornstarch and salt. 

8. Once the milk has come to a gentle simmer, slowly pour it over the top of the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

9. Pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan and continue whisking until the mixture starts to thicken. It will take about two minutes to come to a boil. Once it reaches this point, heat and whisk for a further minute to cook out all the cornstarch. You should be left with a thick, pudding-like consistency.

10. Pass the mixture through a sieve onto a baking tray lined with cling film. Cover the surface of the mixture directly with cling film and chill in the fridge for 2 hours. Meanwhile, make the streusel.

11. In a bowl, add all your ingredients and combine them together with your hands until the butter has broken down and it’s a sand-like consistency. Then squeeze the streusel into a ball, cover it in cling film and chill it in the fridge for at least an hour.

12. Just before the dough has finished proofing, preheat your oven to 160C/320F Non- Fan Assisted. 

13. Make the egg wash by whisking together the eggs and cream in a bowl. Lightly brush the top of your cakes with the egg wash, then grate the streusel over the top (you’ll have some leftover). Lastly, add a good amount of pearl sugar. Bake the cakes for 35 minutes, until the inside of the cakes are above 90C. Whilst your cakes are baking, make the sugar syrup.

14. In a saucepan, add the sugar and water and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved, then leave to one side to cool.

15. Once baked, take your cakes out of their tins and leave to cool on a wire rack (approximately 45 minutes)

16. Once cooled, cut the cakes in half and brush your sugar syrup over the bottom half of the cakes. Next, make your crème diplomate.

17. Take your crème pâtissière out of the fridge and weigh it in a bowl (you should have approximately 525g). Weigh the same weight in double cream and whisk in a bowl until you have a medium stiff peak. It’s important that the cream is not under whipped as if it is too soft, it will result in a soft crème diplomate that won’t be able to support the weight of the brioche and it will ‘smoosh’ out when you place the lid on top. 

18. Going back to your crème pâtissière, whisk it lightly until smooth, then fold in your whipped cream a third at a time, until it’s just combined. This is your crème diplomate. Add the mixture to a piping bag with a 15mm round tip nozzle.

19. Pipe the cream in large droplets all over the base of the cakes, then gently put the tops of the cakes back on top. Dust with icing sugar, then your cakes are ready to serve!