Esterházy Torte

Steps

1. 1
   Heat the oven to 170°C. Draw a 22 cm circle on each of five sheets of baking paper and turn them over.
2. 2
   Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, add the sugar for the meringue gradually and whisk until stiff and glossy, then fold in the ground almonds gently.
3. 3
   Spread the meringue evenly inside the circles, about 5 mm thick, and bake two at a time for 12–15 minutes, until pale golden and dry to the touch. Peel off the paper while warm and trim each layer to a neat circle.
4. 4
   For the cream, heat 300 ml of the milk until steaming. Whisk the yolks, the sugar for the cream and the cornflour with the remaining 100 ml of milk, whisk in the hot milk, return to the pan and cook, whisking, until very thick, then 1 minute more. Stir in the vanilla, cover the surface and cool completely.
5. 5
   Beat the butter for 5 minutes until pale, then beat in the cooled custard a spoonful at a time — both must be at the same room temperature, or the cream splits.
6. 6
   Stack the layers with cream between them, keeping enough cream to coat the sides thinly, and press the flaked almonds onto the sides. Chill for 1 hour.
7. 7
   Mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice into a thick, pourable icing and spread it over the top.
8. 8
   Melt the chocolate and, while the icing is still wet, pipe a spiral from the centre to the edge. Draw the tip of a knife through it from the centre outwards eight times, then from the edge inwards between those lines, to make the web.
9. 9
   Chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, so the meringue layers soften, then cut with a hot knife.