Strawberry Shortcake Pudding (No Pudding Mix)

Steps

1. 1Make the vanilla pudding base: Add the 1 1/2 cup heavy cream, whole milk and vanilla to a saucepan and place on the stove on low heat.
2. 2In the meanwhile, add the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt to a heat-safe bowl and whisk for ~60 seconds until a pale mixture forms.
3. 3Once the cream and milk mixture starts to simmer, remove it from the stove. Slowly pour about a quarter of it into the egg yolk mixture, while whisking constantly to temper the egg yolks. Now pour all of the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan.
4. 4Return the saucepan to the stove. Cook on low heat and stir continuously for ~5 minutes, or until the mixture turns into a smooth, thick custard.
5. 5Strain the hot custard into a large heat-safe bowl to remove any lumps, and add the cubed butter. Wait for 5 minutes to allow the butter to melt, then gently stir it in.
6. 6Cover the custard with cling wrap so it touches the surface, and refrigerate for ~1-2 hours until fully cooled and set.
7. 7Add the remaining 1 1/2 cup cold heavy cream to a bowl, and whisk using an electric mixer until it reaches stiff peaks.
8. 8Remove the chilled custard from the fridge and slowly stir it. Add the custard into the whipped cream in 2-3 batches, and fold gently until just combined to make a light vanilla pudding (creme diplomat).
9. 9Assemble the pudding: Add about a quarter of the vanilla pudding into a 9x13" oval casserole dish and spread it out. Cover with an even layer of closely packed Nilla wafers, and then an even layer of the sliced strawberries.
10. 10Repeat three times so you have 4 full layers of pudding, wafers and strawberries. For the last layer, arrange the wafers and strawberries in a decorative pattern.
11. 11Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate the pudding overnight, or for at least 3 hours to allow the wafers to absorb moisture and become soft.
12. 12Scoop, serve and enjoy!