Corn Layer Cake

In a blender or food processor, combine the milk and corn kernels. Blend until completely smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a medium saucepan. Add the vanilla.

Warm this mixture until simmering in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat.

Combine the granulated sugar and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk by hand or with beaters until light yellow and fluffy. The mixture should leave a trail when the whisk or beaters are pulled up.

Add flour and cornstarch and whisk until thoroughly combined and lightened even further.

Slowly stream in the warmed corn vanilla milk mixture with a ladle while whisking vigorously so you do not cook the eggs. Continue slowly adding it in until it is all combined.

Return the entire mixture to the medium saucepan and place over low heat. Whisk constantly until the pastry cream has thickened to a pudding consistency. This can take 3-5+ minutes depending on your burner strength.

Remove from heat and pour into the heat proof bowl. Cover with plastic and press down to touch the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or place over a bowl of ice to chill faster.

In a blender or food processor, combine the milk and corn kernels. Blend until completely smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a medium saucepan. Keep the dirty blender out for blending the corn for the frosting, no need to wash it yet.

Whisk together flour and baking powder until thoroughly combined and set aside.

Crack eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the eggs on medium speed for 1 minute. With the mixer running, slowly stream the sugar in.

When the sugar is completely in, turn the speed to high and beat for 7 minutes. The mixture should be light and fluffy.

Add the butter and miso paste to the saucepan with the corn milk mixture and gently heat and whisk until completely melted. Do not let it overheat or simmer. Add the vanilla and oil and whisk to combine. Set aside but do not let it cool off too much (do not do this ahead of time).

Add the flour mixture in three parts to the egg mixture just mixing until almost combined. If you still see flour, finish mixing by hand by folding the batter with a rubber spatula.

Remove two large spoonfuls of batter and add it to the corn milk-butter mixture and whisk to completely combine. This tempers your milk mixture so that it does not cook your egg mixture.

Pour the milk mixture into the rest of the egg mixture with the beaters running on low. Continue beating just 10-15 seconds more until combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Wrap bake even strips around the outsides, if using.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Combine flour and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk and cook for about 2 minutes to toast the flour.

Slowly add the honey milk corn mixture, whisking to combine, and turn heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking continuously until it is thick and pudding-like. Once simmering, cook for an additional minute.

Spread the mixture onto a sheet pan lined with plastic or a silicone baking mat and cover with plastic wrap so that it is touching the surface without any air bubbles in between to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool completely to room temperature. Ensure the mixture is completely cool, otherwise it will melt the butter.

Add the room temperature butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on high until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the cooled flour mixture gradually, by the spoonful, while still beating. Incorporating the mixture slowly ensures a smoother consistency.

Add vanilla and salt, and mix until fully incorporated. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring, if desired, and mix to incorporate.

Put a small dollop of the buttercream on a serving plate or board (this will help the cake stick and not slide around). Place the first layer of cake on top. Pipe a thick border of buttercream around the top of the cake layer. Spoon or pipe some of the corn pastry cream in the middle, spreading to the buttercream wall you piped. Repeat with remaining layers until you place the last layer on top.

Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of the buttercream to create a crumb coat to seal in any crumbs. Freeze for 5-10 minutes to seal this coating.

When the crumb coat is set, pipe or dollop more frosting around the outside and on top. Spread evenly with an offset spatula before scraping down the outside with a bench scraper. You may need to do this several times to get a smooth look.

I found that keeping the bench scraper in a bowl of warm water before using it (drying it off in between) helped remove air bubbles on the outside and made smoothing even easier. If you need a visual on how to frost a cake, check out this video.

Garnish with fresh flowers and corn kernels, if desired.