This delicious German creamy dessert is a light and fluffy vanilla cream. Bavarian Cream belongs to the so-called haute cuisine. It is not only a wonderful dessert but a base for many different types of creams.
According to stories, the recipe for this decadent enjoyable cream was created by Isabeau de Bavière, one of the daughters of the Bavarian duke Stephan.
Isabeau the Beautiful married King Karl VI of France (1368-1422) in 1385 and among other things made her name through the incredibly lively letters that she wrote, detailing the conditions of the French courtyard.
It is however uncertain, if the recipe was really created by her or if she merely brought it with her from her native country Germany.
How is this cream dessert called in German?
The vanilla dessert is called "Bayerische Creme".
How to pronounce "Bayerische Creme"?
Listen to this audio file to hear how to say "Bayerische Creme" in German.
Bavarian Cream is either prepared as a dessert or used to make cakes, pastries and other sweet dishes. The preparation of the tasty cream dessert is not difficult and can be overcome by beginners easily.
Once you have mastered the base recipe, you can add coffee, liquor, melted chocolate or ground nuts, to refine the recipe. But even in its most basic variation the typical cream is very nice. If you garnish the cream with a red fruit mix of strawberries or raspberries, you can enjoy the dessert not just with your mouth, but also with your eyes.
Video Tutorial: How to Make Bavarian Cream Dessert from Scratch
Learn how easy it is to make this authentic German Bavarian cream recipe from scratch.
Ingredients
Cream
Whipping heavy cream until stiff is not difficult, yet sometimes mishaps can occur. With these little tips, you can avoid stress.
- Put the whisk attachment and bowl in the refrigerator or even in the freezer for some time in advance.
- Do not take the cream out of the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
- It is best to use cream with a high fat content.
- If you want to save a little time, use a metal bowl instead of plastic. This will make whipping faster.
Eggs
The basic recipe of the Bavarian cream consists of only a few ingredients. However, it should be noted that the eggs should be very fresh for the cream to turn out well.
Gelatin
If you don´t want to use gelatin as an animal product, you can replace it with agar-agar. Agar-agar is a vegan product, that is won from red alga. But when using agar-agar, it is important to remember that every manufacturer will gel their product differently. You should definitely check the packaging beforehand.
Authentic Bavarian Recipe
You will be surprised how easy it is to make Bavarian cream at home.
Recipe
Bavarian Cream
Ingredients
- 5 egg yolks from pasteurized eggs
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 tbsp. vanilla paste
- 1 tbsp. Kirschwasser or rum optional
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tsp. gelatin
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and use a paring knife to scrape out the seeds.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the vanilla bean seeds, egg yolks, Kirschwasser (optional), and powdered sugar and beat to a thick and fluffy cream.
- In a small bowl sprinkle gelatin over ¼ cup cold milk. Allow to sit for about 5 - 10 minutes to bloom the gelatin.
- Heat the rest of the milk, add to the cold milk mixture and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Let milk mixture cool down, add to eggs and beat for about 3 minutes. If you are not using pasteurized eggs, you may want to beat the egg mixture on a double boiler.
- Beat heavy whipping cream and fold into the egg-milk mixture.
- Pour into decorative glasses or leave in bowl.
- Cover and refrigerate at least for 4 hours or overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
Serving Tips
Bavarian cream can be frozen easily. It is important to make sure to defrost it in the fridge, the best way is to leave it overnight.
Delicious Ways to Use The Bavarian Dessert For Cakes and Pastries
Bavarian Cream Donut
Use our Berliner doughnut recipe to bake some fresh German donuts and then fill them with delicious Bavarian cream. Cut the donuts into halves, spread a little of your favorite jam on both sides. Add the Bavarian cream on one half of the donut and top with the other half and your luxurious Bavarian cream donut is ready to indulge you.
Bavarian Cream Filling for Cupcakes
No time to bake but you still are looking for an amazing dessert? Use store bought cupcakes and top them with Bavarian cream filling. Just make sure to whip the cream after it has set until it is smooth. Then fill it into a piping bag and decorate your cupcakes like you do with frosting.
Cream Filling for Cakes
This Bavarian cream recipe is also the perfect filling for cakes and the famous German Tortes. If you want to use Bavarian cream to fill cakes, it is important to whip the cream after it has set until it is smooth. This gives the cream the delicate spreadability, and eliminates possible lumps.
More German Dessert Recipes
Visit our ultimate list of German desserts for more recipes of traditional German dessert specialties.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Bavarian Cream Taste Like?
Bavarian cream tastes like a delicate, fluffy vanilla mousse.
What is the Difference Between Bavarian Cream and Boston Cream?
Boston cream is a custard cream that is thickened with starch like pudding. Bavarian cream is fluffier and more delicate because it receives its firmness from gelatin.
Is Bavarian Cream and Pastry Cream the Same?
No, it is not. Pastry cream is thickened with starch and has more a consistency like firmer pudding. Bavarian cream is fluffier and creamier.
What is the Difference between Bavarian cream and pudding?
No, it is not. Bavarian cream is made with gelatin, pudding is made with starch.
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