This British classic has been made into a giant biscuit that will feed plenty. Perfect for a show-stopper at a bake sale or an alternative to a children’s birthday cake!
The custard cream biscuit has been given a giant make-over.
The decoration takes some patience, but we promise it is worth it and will impress everyone and there will be more than enough of the classic biscuit to share!
Don't forget to allow time for chilling and cooling!
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Yields:
24 serving(s)
Prep Time:
45 mins
Cook Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
1 hr
Cal/Serv:
332
Ingredients
For the biscuit
300g
unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
150g
caster sugar
2
medium eggs, lightly beaten
550g
plain flour, plus extra to dust
150g
custard powder
For the filling
175g
unsalted butter, softened
250g
icing sugar
40g
custard powder
You will also need
Alphabet biscuit cutters
Directions
Step 1Grease and line two 23 x 33cm (9 x 13in) shallow baking trays with baking parchment. Beat the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl with an electric handheld whisk, until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat again until just combined. Sift in the flour and custard powder and mix with a wooden spoon. Bring together and shape into a disc with your hands, wrap in cling film and chill for 30min.
Step 2Divide chilled dough equally in half and roll each half on a lightly floured surface to a large rectangle 5mm (1/4in) thick and slightly larger than the trays. Transfer to the prepared trays and trim to fit, reserving trimmings for decoration. Chill until needed.
Step 3Roll 3/4 of the trimmings into thin strands of varying lengths, set aside. Roll out the remaining 1/4 trimmings to 5mm (1/4in) thick and stamp out letters spelling ‘CUSTARD CREAM’, with biscuit cutters. Remove one tray from fridge and arrange the letters in the middle, then use the strands to decorate the biscuit to look like the swirls and lines on a Custard Cream. Chill while you preheat oven to 200°C (fan 180°C) mark 6.
Step 4Bake both trays for around 15min, or until firm and sandy to touch. Remove from oven and neaten the biscuit edges with a sharp knife. Leave to cool in the trays for 15min, then carefully invert on to cooling racks, peel off baking parchment and leave to cool completely.
Step 5Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, icing sugar and custard powder with a handheld electric whisk until light and fluffy.
Step 6Transfer the plain biscuit to a large board, top facing down. Spread the filling evenly all over and arrange the decorated biscuit on top, with the lettering facing upwards. Serve whole, then slice.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
