In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, whisk the milk, butter and vanilla. Whisk constantly to ensure the ingredients don’t burn. Once the milk has started to bubble, take the pan off of the heat.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, ¼ cup of heavy cream, cornstarch and salt together in a large bowl then slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the bowl, whisking the entire time to prevent the egg yolks from curdling.

Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve back into the pan and return the pan to the heat. Continue whisking until it has thickened and has started to bubble.

Pour the custard into a shallow dish then cover with plastic wrap and press it down on top so that the custard doesn’t form a film on top.

Transfer it to an ice bath until it's room temperature. Then, refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

In the meantime, make the cake by whisking the milk, sugar and yeast together in the bowl of your stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl.

Allow it to sit, undisturbed, for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is tan and frothy.

Whisk in the eggs, vanilla and salt. Then, use a dough hook to incorporate the flour.

Gradually stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter at a time and continue kneading on medium speed for 4-5 more minutes. (The dough will be very sticky, but do not add any more flour or the cake will be tough and dense.)

Butter a large bowl. Scrape the dough out of the mixer and transfer it into the buttered bowl. Cover and allow it to rise in a warm place for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly flour a countertop. Turn the dough out onto the countertop and knead it 3-4 times. Dust a rolling pin then roll the dough out into an 8-inch circle.

Place a sheet of parchment paper into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan then spray the entire pan generously with non-stick cooking spray.

Place the dough on top of the parchment paper then make the almond glaze topping.

Melt the butter, sugar and honey together in a medium saucepan until it starts to bubble. Stir in the almonds and gently pour the almond mix on top of the dough.

Make sure the almonds are evenly spread out, but do not press the almonds into the dough or the cake will fall in on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges and top have turned a light golden brown.

Allow the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before removing it from the pan and slicing it in half horizontally using a serrated knife. 

Place the bottom half of the cake on a serving plate or a cake stand. 

Whip the remaining ¼ cup of heavy cream from the custard ingredients together with the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

Add the cooled and set custard to a medium bowl then fold in the whipped cream until smooth. It should be very thick and hold its shape.

Spread the custard filling onto the bottom half of the cake. Place the top half of the cake over the custard filling and dust with a bit of powdered sugar before slicing and serving.

Serve chilled. See post for storage options.