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Bavarian Cream (French Crème Bavarois)

french-cremebavaroisThe Crème Bavaroise is the base preparation used in many French patisseries. Bavarian cream, crème bavaroise or simply bavarois, in German Bayerische creme, is a dessert consisting of milk thickened with eggs and gelatin or isinglass, into which whipped cream is folded. The mixture sets up in a cold mold and is unmolded for serving.

4 egg yolks
1 cup white cane sugar
2 env unflavoured gelatin + ½ cup cold water to bloom it
2 cups whole milk
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract or 1-2 vanilla beans
2 cups heavy whipping cream

To Serve:
fresh fruit and herbs, as needed to top dessert
confectioners' sugar, honey, agave syrup, fruit syrup or reduction, as needed, to drizzle over dessert (optional)

Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until foamy. Set aside.

Sprinkle the gelatin over cold water and set it aside to bloom.

Add vanilla to milk. Over medium heat in a deep sauce pan bring milk to gentle boil.

Turn the heat to low and add a ladelful of milk to the yolks mixture, stirring to blend. This is called tempering. The milk dilutes the egg yolks and prevents their proteins from forming bonds and the yolks cooking.

Add the tempered egg yolks mixture to the milk, while heat is still on low. Whisk as you do it. Continue whisking gently for a couple of more minutes and remove from the heat.

Add the bloomed gelatin to the warm custard and whisk to help it melt nicely. Transfer the resulting mixture to a mixing bowl and set it aside to cool down.

While it is cooling down, prepare molds or dessert glasses etc. and whip the cream.

Fold in the whipped cream into the cooled down custard. Transfer to molds, cover and refrigerate to set. Let set for a minimum of 6-8 hour, for best results leave it overnight or even a bit longer. Smaller servings will set faster.

Serve unmolded or directly from the dessert cup in which the Bavarian cream set and top with fruit, fruity syrup, Chocolate sauce honey, fresh herbs etc.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Cook's Notes:

If your singular goal is to pipe Bavarian cream into a pastry like cream puffs or donuts, consider increasing the noted gelatin amount by about a third. The cream will have a much firmer texture and lend itself easily to being piped out of a pastry bag. Keep desserts to which it is added chilled for best results.

Gelatin conversions:

1 pkg of granulated gelatin = 1 Tbsp. powdered gelatin = 3-5 sheets of gelatin

Water quantities (for this recipe):

  • If using granulated/powder gelatin sprinkle over ½ cup cold water.
  • If using sheets, place in plenty of cold water and squeeze out the water from the bloomed sheets before adding them to the warm custard.
  • Refer to the tips in the post body about How to Unmold Bavarian Cream.
  • If you want to freeze Bavarian cream do it in an appropriate mold (silicone works well) and before it has set. Thaw in the fridge first (overnight) and then at room temperature before you unmold/serve.
  • Do not microwave Bavarian cream (or any dessert that contains gelatin). Certain amino acids in gelatin may change into toxic substances when microwaved.