To prepare the sponge cake, start whipping the eggs with the granulated sugar with a high-speed electric mixer for at least 15 minutes. The mixture should be smooth and creamy.

Sift the flour twice and add it to the newly created dough, a little at a time.

Gently mix, with a spatula, from bottom to top so as not to disassemble the cream.

Get a mold with a hinge with a diameter of 22 cm and a height of at least 15 cm; grease and flour the latter and pour the mixture into it.

Bake in the oven, in static mode, at 180 ° for about 35/40 minutes. Check the internal cooking with a toothpick: if this remains dry then the sponge cake will be ready.

Let it cool completely before taking it out of the mold and set aside.

To prepare the diplomatic cream, work the egg yolks together with the granulated sugar in a bowl, using a whisk. Then add the cornstarch a little at a time. Continue to mix until you reach a cream without lumps.

In a saucepan, heat the milk: as soon as it reaches a boil, add the vanillin inside. At this point, pour in the beaten egg mixture as well. Continue stirring over the heat for another 5 minutes, or until the mixture is homogeneous.

Pour the cream obtained into a bowl and let it cool covered by the transparent film (pay attention to make the film adhere well to the cream: in this way you will not create the dreaded crust on its surface).

After the necessary time, add the whipped vegetable cream to the cream.

Mix the ingredients with an electric mixer at low speed. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator.

To prepare the choux pastry, start by cutting the butter into coarse pieces. Take a saucepan, pour in the butter, water and a pinch of fine salt; bring the ingredients to a boil, keeping the heat low; then add the flour.

Return to the heat and continue to cook, over low heat, until the pasta comes off the sides of the saucepan. Turn off the heat and add the eggs one at a time.

Mix well until you get a homogeneous mixture. To do this, use a ladle or an electric mixer, keeping it at medium speed.

Once ready, transfer the mixture into a piping bag or a syringe for sweets with a medium round nozzle.

Take a baking sheet and form many small balls of the same size on it.

Bake the pan in a preheated oven, in static mode, at 220 ° for 15 minutes. Then lower to 190 ° for another 10 minutes.

The result must be puffs completely dry inside and full of air. Leave to cool completely.

At this point, take a small bowl and mix the water, granulated sugar and witch liqueur into it to create the syrup.

Retrieve the sponge cake and start dividing it with the help of a knife.

Continue dividing it into three discs of equal height.

With the help of a measuring cup or a kitchen brush, soak two layers of sponge cake with the syrup.

Take ¼ of the diplomatic cream and add the dark chocolate melted in a bain-marie.

Mix the ingredients well and set them aside in the refrigerator for the final decoration.

Take a serving dish: place a sponge cake disc in its center. Take the other ¾ of the diplomatic cream, place it in a piping bag and completely cover the surface of the first disc. Position the second disc as well and repeat the operation paying attention to sprinkle the sides well as well.

Take the third disc and finely chop it with a blender; sprinkle the entire surface of the cake.

At this point fill the cream puffs with the remaining diplomatic cream, using a fine-tipped syringe for sweets.

To prepare the caramel, bring a saucepan with the water and sugar inside on the stove. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is light brown in color (be careful not to use ladles to mix but only turn the saucepan). Once ready, turn off the heat and let it cool, but do not cool completely.

Now dip the head of the puffs in the caramel; place them on a sheet of parchment paper and let them harden upside down for at least 5 minutes.

To decorate the cake, place the cream puffs on the surface and create tufts of diplomatic chocolate cream with the help of a piping bag.

finally add the whipped cream, alternating spouts of various shapes and sizes. Once decorated, place the saint honoré cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.