This custard cake has been in Nicky’s family for three generations
Nicky’s fudgy custard cake recipe has been passed down from family member to family member, with plenty of competition in the process.
:Desktop-1300x658)
“This recipe holds a special spot in our hearts: every time we make it, we remember our grandparents and those lovely times when the whole family came together."
- Nicky
From the 1940s, my grandfather and grandfather owned a bakery in the Sydney suburb of Gladesville; all of our family worked there as soon as they were old enough to do so. The shop was filled with delicious goodies and sold retro desserts including finger buns, vanilla slice, cinnamon rolls and – of course – this custard cake, which became their best seller.
The Faust custard cake was an original recipe that was never passed down to the family, so you wouldn't find it anywhere else. This recipe holds a special spot in our hearts: every time we make it, we remember our grandparents and those lovely times when the whole family came together.
At weekends or family events, there was always a competition to see who could make the best custard cake. My brother and I always had to judge! Dad always laughed that Mum won every time, but he was the one who taught us how to make it. “You can add a bit more flour. Don’t worry about it,” he would tell me. And Mum would always yell at me, “Stick to the recipe, Nic!”
Now my kids have taken on the tradition and are adding their own twists, such as whipped cream and passionfruit. There are always flour spills everywhere but I love it. They’re spending time together and just letting loose. It's great just watching them have fun. All I can hear is my kids laughing and discussing the cake, saying, “This is so much better than Mum’s”. Cheeky.
The cake is made of ingredients you’ve got in your pantry and isn't hard to make, but a top tip of mine would be to make sure your cake tin is greased really well. And don’t be scared of adding more flour and getting messy. The more flour you have, the less sticky it is!
"Don’t be scared of adding more flour and getting messy. The more flour you have, the less sticky it is!”
- Nicky
We have a passionfruit tree at home. When it’s not growing lovely fruit, we just buy tinned passionfruit, which makes the cake great value for your money.
The custard cake isn’t heavy nor too sweet. It's a great dessert for hot summer days, especially when you top it with ice-cream.