Crème Brûlée Cake

Vanilla Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, then vanilla.
3. Mix in dry ingredients and milk, alternating.
4. Divide into two 8-inch pans. Bake 22–25 minutes. Cool completely.

Crème Brûlée Pastry Cream:

5. Heat milk until steaming.
6. Whisk yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Slowly add hot milk.
7. Return to heat and cook until thick.
8. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cover and chill.

Vanilla Buttercream & Assembly:

9. Beat butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, then cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy.
10. Level layers (or split for thinner layers).

Pipe a buttercream dam. Add pastry cream.

Stack, crumb coat, chill, then frost.

Caramelized sugar topping:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Sprinkle sugar into a circle about the size of your cake.
3. Place under the broiler and watch it closely. It can burn very quickly.
4. Let it broil until the sugar is fully melted and caramelized.
5. Once golden, remove and let it cool completely until hardened.
6. Carefully lift and place the sugar disc on top of the cake.