Custard and cake towers

Bake the cake according to the instructions on the packet. Cool and cut each cake layer into three horizontally and set aside.
To make the custard: Heat 450 ml of the milk to just below boiling point. Mix the custard powder and sugar with the remaining 50 ml cold milk and add a little of the hot milk to the mixture. Mix well and add the custard powder mixture to the hot milk in the saucepan.
Heat slowly to boiling point, stirring constantly. Simmer until the custard thickens and is cooked. Remove from the heat and cool. Stir in the almond essence.
Sandwich the cake layers together with evenly spread layers of the custard. (Reserve a little custard for decoration.)
Using a cookie cutter, cut small circles out of the cake. (Press the cookie cutter all the way down to ensure it cuts through the bottom cake layer as well.)
Lift the towers and transfer to small serving plates. Decorate each tower with the remaining custard and sprinkle with toasted almonds.
Arrange the berries or fruit on top of and around the towers.