Frankfurt wreath

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 20 g butter
• 100 g sugar
• 50 ml water
• 200 g almonds, chopped or hazelnuts
• 750 ml milk
• 2 packs of vanilla pudding powder for cooking
• 100 g sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 375 g butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tsp powdered sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 4 tbsp water, cold
• 200 g sugar
• 80 g cornstarch
• 120 g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 jar of blackcurrant jelly, approx. 300 g
• Fat and flour for the mold

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 4 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 5 hours 30 minutes

the ultimate birthday cake

For the brittle, heat the butter, sugar, and water in a nonstick frying pan. Add the chopped almonds and brown slowly over medium heat. Stir constantly, otherwise the brittle will burn and/or not brown evenly. Let the brittle cool on a baking sheet or baking mat. Caution: The sugar on the almonds is quite hot and tends to stick to your fingers. Only touch it with your fingers after it has cooled! Prepare the pudding for the buttercream. Take a little of the milk and mix it with the pudding powder, sugar, and the two egg yolks until smooth. Bring the remaining milk to a boil, add the smooth mixture, and bring to a boil briefly. Cover the pudding directly on top of the pudding with cling film to prevent a skin from forming. Let the pudding cool to room temperature. When you add the butter, both will be at the same temperature for further processing. For the sponge, preheat the oven. Beat 4 egg whites with the cold water until stiff and white. Gradually add the sugar, then stir in the 4 egg yolks. Sift the cornstarch, baking powder, and flour and gradually fold in with a spoon. Do not tap the mixing bowl, or the air bubbles will burst and the sponge will not rise as well. Grease and flour a baking tin and pour in the batter. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (fan oven) or 200°C (top/bottom heat) for approx. 25 minutes. Then let the base cool completely. For the buttercream, beat the butter with the vanilla extract and the icing sugar until very white and fluffy. This will take a few minutes, at least 5, but you can do longer. Then stir in the custard a spoonful at a time. Set aside some buttercream for the dots. Cut the sponge in half horizontally. Using a piping bag, pipe an inner and outer circle of buttercream onto the edge of the bottom layer, then spread a little of the redcurrant jelly in the middle between them. Place the middle sponge cake on top, fill with buttercream and jelly again, and place the top cake layer on top. Cover the outside with the remaining buttercream and cover with the brittle. Pipe attractive dots of buttercream on top. Chill the cake for at least 3 hours. Since the homemade brittle, the pudding for the buttercream, and of course the cake itself all need to cool, you can prepare the Frankfurter Kranz on one day and assemble and chill it on the next. If you want to make it all in one day, please remember to allow enough cooling time. The Frankfurter Kranz can easily be made two days before you want to eat it. Stored in the fridge, it will infuse beautifully and taste even better than when it was fresh.