Cake

• Preheat the oven to 320f and prep a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. Make sure the sheet goes up the sides to prevent sticking. This will make for easier transfer later.
• Heat oil to 176f, then pour in a large (preferably glass) bowl.
• Sift flour and cornstarch into the bowl with the oil, whisking until smooth.
• Add warmed milk, vanilla extract, honey, and salt to the flour and oil mixture, stirring until combined. It will look separated and clumpy. That's okay. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
• Place whole eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer with 80g sugar. Set the bowl on the stovetop over a double boiler (bain-marie) and whisk the eggs and sugar together until the temperature of the eggs reaches around 107f.
• Transfer to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip the eggs on high speed (level 10 on an artisan mixer) for about 4-5 minutes. The eggs will pail and double in volume. Test for doneness by lifting the whisk out of the batter. The whipped eggs should fall slowly from the whisk and you should be able to draw lines in the batter without them immediately disappearing.

  *If the batter falls quickly and disappears immediately, the eggs have been over-whipped. You may need to start over. :(
• Add 1/3 of the egg yolk mixture into the warmed milk mixture and whisk until combined. No need to be gentle. We don't want any lumps!
• Add the rest of the yolk mixture to the glass bowl. Whisk out any lumps in the beginning, then, once smooth, start gently folding the mixture until it reaches the ribbon stage. The batter should be golden pale in color and fall quickly from the spatula, disappearing into the rest of the batter within seconds.
• Hold the bowl at least a foot above the parchment lined 9x13 pan and pour the batter into it. (This helps with air bubbles) Lift and tilt the pan to fill in the corners. Then, drop it onto the counter a few times to pop out any big air bubbles. (You can also smack the bottom of the pan with your hand.) Immediately place the cake onto a larger baking sheet and slide it into the oven, filling the larger sheet with about 6 ounces of hot (not boiling) water. You are going to bake the cake in a water bath for 25-30 minutes or until the sponge springs back when touched. Do not open the oven within the first 10-15 minutes or the cake will deflate!
• Once out of the oven, leave the cake in the pan to cool for about 5 minutes. Then place a sheet of parchment paper over the top of the cake and invert it, peeling the once-bottom sheet off from the top.
• Use a 4in round biscuit/cookie cutter to cut out 6 circles. It'll be tight, but you should be able to cut them all out. Combine two halves to make a full circle if necessary. Wrap each individual cake round in plastic wrap and place in the fridge while you prepare your cream/filling of choice.
• Cake rounds can be stored in the freezer for several months if double-wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then wrapped again in foil. Alternatively, you can double wrap in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag.