In a bowl, add the sugar, egg yolks and milk and combine using a whisk until smooth and homogenous. Then, pass the mixture through a sieve into a thick-bottomed pan. Place the pan over medium heat and stir continuously as the custard forms.
Once the liquid starts to boil, continue stirring for another 2 minutes, then take off the heat.
Place the custard into a bowl, cover with plastic film and leave to cool completely.
Once cooled, we can prepare the cream. In a separate bowl, whisk the butter with a mixer until creamy and airy, then gradually add the cooled custard in batches. Make sure both the butter and the custard are at the same temperature so the texture doesn't change.
Scoop out about a third of the cream into another bowl and combine it with a tablespoon of cocoa powder. This will be used to frost the top and sides of the cake.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of the remaining white cream into a piping bag. We'll use this in the final step for decorating.