Glazed chocolate custard cake

Here's a trick I learned a couple of years ago about splitting the cake. Instead of using a knife to cut the cake, you can use dental floss. Just use a long piece of floss to line up the floss with center height of the cake, all the way around the edge. When the floss is all lined up, loop the ends over each other and pull through. This will give one perfect slice through the cake two make two thin cakes!  -  07 Nov 2004  (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)

THE CAKE CAME OUT GREAT. VERY EASY. I HAVE READ A FEW OF THE REVIEWS, AND ONE HAD SAID THAT THE CUSTARD WAS LUMPY. THE ONLY LUMPS I GOT WERE FROM THE SIDES OF THE PAN WHEN I STIRRED THEM IN. I HAD USED A LARGE SERATED KNIFE TO SPLIT THE CAKE AND IT CAME OUT FINE. I HAD ALSO USED BAKING POWDER INSTEAD OF THE BLOCKS. 3T OF POWDER AND 1T OF OIL EQUALS 1 1oz BLOCK CHOCOLATE. I THOUGHT THERE WAS ENOUGH GLAZE. I ALSO QUARTERED BANANAS THEN SLICED THEM AND PUT THEM ON TOP OF THE CUSTARD IN THE MIDDLE. I TOSSED THEM CAREFULLY WITH JUST ENOUGH LEMON JUICE, ABOUT 2t SO THEY DIDNT TURN BROWN. THIS WAS A GREAT ADDITION. I HOPE THIS HELPS AND ENCOURAGES YOU. BAKE ON GIRLS!! GOD HAS A WONDERFUL PLAN FOR EACH OF YOUR LIVES. HE CREATED YOU. HE LOVES YOU. ASK HIM TO REVEAL HIMSELF TO YOU, AND I PROMISE YOU HE WILL. START LOOKING FOR HIM IN EVERYTHING! HE IS THERE. STAND ON HIS PROMISES IN HIS WORD, AND BE ENCOURAGED.  -  24 Nov 2004  (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)

I can't speak for the icing or the filling, but this cake recipe is wonderful and moist. However, I prefer to bake it in two layers rather than split it, so if you are like me, just enter 18 servings for the amount and hit calculate, and this should give you enough batter for two 9 inch pans (use 2 eggs instead of 1 1/2 though). Some advice on pastry cream: mixing the sugar and cornstarch in the beginning is essential to smoothe cream, but there is also another problem. Even after you remove the pan from heat, the custard continues to cook, and thus, if you do not continue to stir afterwards, you may still get lumps. To combat this, chill a metal or ceramic mixing bowl in your freezer before beginning the cooking process. Once thickened, remove the custard to the bowl, mixing all the while, and stir until the custard is no longer hot. (If you have a stand mixer, you can use the accompanying mixing bowl and mix on low speed until cool). For the topping, I used a dark chocolate ganache (1c scalding hot evaporated milk or cream, 8oz 70% dark chocolate, 1/4c sugar: pour the hot milk over the chocolate and sugar; stir to combine; chill until spreadable consistency.) Hope this helps!  -  24 May 2009  (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)