In the saucepan, stir together cream, sugar, and vanilla bean and slowly bring to a boil. When it reaches the boiling point with just a few bubbles on the surface, add a ladle of the hot cream mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to temper the eggs. Stir the tempered eggs into the cream mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stay with it! Don't be tempted to wander off or try to multi task on this one, because it can bubble up and boil over in a second. Strain the custard to remove the vanilla pod and any lumps, then pour into small bowl. Chill in the refrigerator and keep chilled until read to serve.

In the large bowl, add the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the oil, egg yolks, milk, vanilla seeds, and almond extract. Stir mixture until smooth, but do not over mix it.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating on high until soft peaks form. Add the beaten whites to the cake mixture and fold in gently. Pour into the sprayed custard cups.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cake bounces back lightly when you press it with your finger. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Once the cakes are completely cool, then remove them from the cups. Cover with plastic wrap to maintain moisture and set aside until ready to serve.