Durian Cake - first attempt

I don't really eat durian because I was told it's fattening, plus, there's this "myth" about durian and pimple outbreak... so, I've not really been keen. Having said that... I'm not against the king of fruits.

There has been this request, erm... since last year actually, but the request was not being followed up and there were many other stuff to offer this requester in question. Hence, only now that I finally take up the "challenge". The result - quite bad.

Made a plain sponge cake for the durian cake. But the first attempt in sponge cake (never baked sponge cake for about 10 years, not joking, don't really like baking sponge cake) was quite a disaster. I've used a slightly too big baking tray, as a result, the sponge cake was very thin. Therefore, only managed to assemble the "cakes" into what looked like cream puff...

The cake was too thin, hence this look

So since my "apprentice" was here this weekend, I've entrusted her with the task of completing assembling all the "durian cream puffs", while I bake another sponge cake which might look more like a cake.

At the end, the cake turn out quite ok. The durian cream, however, were a bit too soft. It's very difficult to assemble as the cake threatened to collapse. The cakes were drizzled with some durian custard (which mum said smelled like "jagung" humphhhhh).

I wonder if durian goes well with butter cakes? It would be easier assembling a durian cake with a butter cake base instead of sponge cake. Or perhaps pipe the durian cream into a cupcake? Easier to assemble too. The next challenge is a durian cream tart.

I like experiments, it's how new items can come on to the permanent list. But I hate it most of the time because the chances of over producing certain ingredient is always there - I have so much durian cream and durian custard left. Can't be throwing them away and not sure how long it will last before I attempt the tarts which allow me to use the extra creams.

Told sms-buddy that I hope he had expected for my first attempt to be, well, like a first attempt. Though it's not so nice, but I really need him to help me with finishing them.

Any other guinea pigs? Opsss... I mean food tasters?