• Slice the sponge in 1 cm slices. Drain sweets from their syrup and slice in bite sized pieces. In a bowl mix the brandy with syrup from the sweets and the orange blossom water if using.

Make the pastry cream

• In a large pot, heat the milk and cream with half the sugar. In another large bowl whisk together the eggs, yolks, corn flour, vanilla and remaining sugar. When milk/cream is hot, pour half into the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Pour remaining milk/cream mixture to the eggs and mix. Pass the mixture through a strainer back to the pot you boiled the milk. This will get rid of any cooked yolk bits. Stir cream over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Use a whisk to stir vigorously for a minute. Take cream off the heat and add the butter. Stir until butter has melted and cream is smooth.
• Divide cream equally in two bowls.

Assemble the dessert while cream is hot

• You can layer the ingredients for this dessert once or twice (as pictured here). You can assemble it in a round or rectangular glass pan, or in a trifle dish. I chose the latter.
• Layer half of the sponge slices in the trifle dish. Drizzle with half the syrup/brandy mixture. Top with half the sweet slices and 1 tablespoon chopped almonds. Cover with half of the hot pastry cream (keep the other half covered with plastic wrap to prevent a skin form forming).
• Repeat with remaining sponge, syrup, sweets, almonds and remaining pastry cream. Cover the surface of the cream with chopped almonds and maybe some sweet slices. Transfer “Sharlotta” in the fridge to chill and for the flavours to meld. Serve cold.