Shortcrust pastry 

1. In a large bowl place the flour with the powdered sugar, almond meal and pinch of salt.
2. Add the cold butter pieces and mix with your fingertips until you have a sandy mixture.
3. Then add the egg and gather the mixture until it forms a ball of dough.
4. Cover on contact with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 20 minutes in the fridge.
5. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out on 2 sheets of parchment paper to a thickness of 3-4 mm.
6. Place the dough disc in the freezer for at least 10 minutes, then peel it off the 2 sheets of baking paper.
7. Place the cold disc of dough on a silicone baking mat or a sheet of parchment paper and place the paper pattern in the center, sticking well to the dough.
8. Using a knife, cut along the outline of the paper pattern.
9. Remove the excess dough, then gently peel off the paper pattern.
10. Repeat the last step to cut out the second cake number.
11. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and bake the 2 dough numbers for about 10-12 minutes, until they are lightly browned on top.
12. Let them cool completely.

Diplomat cream

1. Bring the milk to a boil with the vanilla bean, cut in half and scraped out, and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, rehydrate the gelatin leaves in a small bowl of cold water.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and cornstarch for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Remove the vanilla bean from the milk and pour it into the bowl containing the egg yolks while whisking.
5. Transfer the mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium heat while whisking constantly until the cream thickens, at the first boil continue to heat for another 2 minutes and then remove from heat.
6. Add the gelatin, previously wrung out, and mix vigorously to incorporate it.
7. Pour the pastry cream into a large baking dish and cover with plastic wrap, then place in the refrigerator until cool.
8. In a bowl, whip the cold heavy cream with an electric mixer until stiff.
9. In another bowl, whip the cold pastry cream with a whisk to loosen it, then gently fold in the whipped cream with a spatula until you have a smooth, firm diplomat cream.

Assembling the number cake

1. Place a first layer of shortcrust on a large plate or cake board.
2. Using a piping bag filled with diplomat cream, pipe balls of the same diameter to cover the entire cake number.
3. Gently pipe the second layer to cover the first one and again pipe diplomat cream with the piping bag.
4. Decorate with the strawberry pieces, then the macarons and finish with the small meringue cookies.
5. Place the number cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.