Preparing a delicious cream for homemade baking is easy using ordinary ingredients. UNN has compiled a top 7 list of the best recipes for you, suitable for honey cake, Napoleon cake, éclairs, cookies, and cupcakes. They will make the dessert more delicate, rich, and aromatic, while the step-by-step instructions make it easy to recreate the recipes in your home kitchen.
Vanilla custard for honey cake
Ingredients:
- milk – 300 ml;
- egg yolks – 2;
- sugar – 100 g;
- butter – 25 g;
- wheat flour – 25 g;
- vanilla sugar – 10 g;
- salt – 0.5 tsp.
Preparation:
Step 1. Prepare all the ingredients. The milk and butter should be fresh and of good quality. The amount of sugar can be adjusted to taste. Salt enhances the flavor of the cream, but it may be omitted if desired.
Step 2. Pour the milk into a saucepan and place it over low heat. Do not bring it to a boil - when the first bubbles appear, remove it from the heat. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla sugar, and egg yolks. Beat with a whisk.
Step 3. Add a tablespoon of warm milk to the yolk mixture and stir so that the sugar dissolves well.
Step 4. Add the wheat flour and mix thoroughly with a whisk so that no lumps remain.
Step 5. Gradually pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add all the milk in 3-4 stages.
Step 6. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens. This takes approximately 5 minutes.
Step 7. When the cream becomes sufficiently thick and holds well on the spatula, remove it from the heat. Add the salt and room-temperature butter. Stir until smooth.
Step 8. Cool the cream first at room temperature and then in the refrigerator. To prevent a skin from forming on the surface, cover the cream with plastic wrap in contact - pressing it tightly against the surface of the cream.
Eggless milk custard for honey cake and Napoleon cake
Ingredients:
- milk – 500 ml;
- sugar – 200 g;
- butter – 100 g;
- wheat flour – 50 g;
- vanillin – 1 g.
Preparation:
Step 1. Prepare all the necessary ingredients. Milk of any fat content may be used, and the amount of sugar can be adjusted to taste.
Step 2. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the sugar, flour, and vanillin. Mix with a whisk until smooth, ensuring that no lumps remain. Instead of vanillin, you can use 2-3 drops of vanilla flavoring or 1 tbsp. of vanilla sugar.
Step 3. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Cook the cream, stirring constantly with a whisk, until it becomes thick and dense. Reduce the heat if necessary. It is important not to stop stirring so that the cream does not burn. When the cream reaches the desired thickness, remove it from the heat.
Step 4. Add the butter to the hot cream and mix with a whisk until smooth. If the cream becomes too thin after the butter is added, return it to the heat and, stirring constantly, bring it to the desired thickness.
Step 5. Cover the saucepan with plastic wrap "in contact" and cool the cream completely. It will become even thicker after cooling. For layering cake layers, the cream can be used while still warm - it will be more pliable this way.
Step 6. The finished cream can be used for honey cake, Napoleon cake, and other desserts. It can also be served as a standalone dessert with fresh berries or fruit.
Milk custard with starch for éclairs and honey cake
Ingredients:
- milk – 500 ml;
- egg yolks – 2;
- starch – 3 tbsp.;
- sugar – 180 g;
- vanillin – to taste.
Preparation:
Step 1. Prepare all the necessary ingredients. Milk of any fat content may be used for the cream. Either potato or corn starch will work.
Step 2. Pour the milk into a small saucepan or sauté pan. Add the sugar and, stirring, bring the milk to a boil.
Step 3. Separate the eggs into whites and yolks. The whites will not be needed for this recipe. Transfer the yolks to a separate bowl, add the starch and 2–3 tablespoons of milk from the total amount. Mix thoroughly until smooth. Add vanillin to taste.
Step 4. Pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture in a thin stream, stirring constantly. For convenience, you can use a mixer.
Step 5. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and place it over the heat. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly. The cream will gradually thicken. Remove it from the heat and beat with a mixer until smooth.
Step 6. Cover the finished cream with plastic wrap or a lid and leave it to cool. The cream will become thicker as it cools. If desired, beat it once more with a mixer.
The finished cream can be used to layer honey cake, fill éclairs and other pastries, or served as a dessert on its own. For a more stable consistency, you can add softened butter after cooling.
Orange curd
Ingredients:
- sugar – 100 g;
- butter – 70 g;
- egg yolks – 4;
- orange – 1 (juice and zest).
Preparation:
Step 1. Prepare all the necessary ingredients. Wash and dry the orange thoroughly. If desired, pour boiling water over it to make the zest more aromatic. Squeeze the juice from the orange and grate the zest on a fine grater.
Step 2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or small pot, combine the egg yolks, sugar, orange zest, and juice. Place over low heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture thickens. Do not bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat.
Step 3. Let the cream cool slightly. Add the butter, cut into small cubes, and mix until smooth.
Step 4. Cover the curd with plastic wrap "in contact" and cool completely at room temperature. The cream will become thicker as it cools.
Step 5. Transfer the finished orange curd to a clean airtight jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen in portions for 1–2 months. Stir thoroughly after thawing.
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Cream cheese frosting for a cake made with heavy cream and cream cheese
Ingredients:
- cream cheese – 400 g;
- 33% heavy cream – 400 ml;
- powdered sugar – 4 tbsp.
Preparation:
Step 1. Prepare all the necessary ingredients. Take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator in advance so that it warms slightly to room temperature. Use the cream well chilled.
Step 2. Pour the cream into a bowl and add the powdered sugar. Begin beating at low speed. When the cream starts to thicken, increase the speed and beat until smooth and fluffy.
Step 3. Add the cream cheese to the whipped cream. Mix with a mixer at low speed until smooth. Do not beat the frosting for too long, so that the cream does not become overwhipped.
Step 4. Transfer the finished cream cheese frosting to a piping bag fitted with a nozzle. Use it to decorate cupcakes or a cake.
Step 5. The cream cheese frosting can be served as a dessert on its own or used for layering and decorating cakes and cupcakes.
Custard with dulce de leche
Ingredients:
- milk – 700 ml;
- eggs – 2;
- sugar – 100 g;
- starch – 4 tbsp.;
- dulce de leche – 200 g;
- butter – 300 g.
Preparation:
Step 1. Prepare all the necessary ingredients. Take the dulce de leche and butter out of the refrigerator in advance so that they warm to room temperature.
Step 2. In a saucepan, combine the eggs, sugar, and starch until smooth. If desired, some of the starch can be replaced with flour.
Step 3. Pour 200 ml of cold milk into the egg mixture and mix well.
Step 4.Pour the remaining milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat. Stirring constantly, pour the egg mixture into the hot milk in a thin stream and mix until smooth.
Step 5. Place the saucepan over very low heat. Stirring constantly, cook the cream until it thickens and the first bubbles appear. Remove from the heat and cover with plastic wrap "in contact" so that it lies tightly against the surface of the cream. Cool the cream completely to room temperature.
Step 6. Beat the softened butter with a mixer for 5–6 minutes until light and fluffy.
Step 7. Continuing to beat at low speed, gradually add the boiled sweetened condensed milk, one tablespoon at a time. Mix well after each portion.
Step 8. In the same way, add the chilled custard one tablespoon at a time. Beat until smooth after each portion. At the end, beat the cream for another 1–2 minutes.
If the cream has turned out lumpy, pass it through a sieve and beat it briefly again at low speed.
Step 9. It is best to use the finished cream immediately for preparing desserts.
Classic custard
Ingredients:
- milk – 550 ml;
- eggs – 3;
- wheat flour – 3.5 tbsp.;
- sugar – 200 g;
- butter – 120 g;
- vanilla sugar – 1 packet.
Preparation:
Step 1. Prepare all the necessary ingredients. The amount of sugar can be adjusted to taste. Remove the butter from the refrigerator in advance so that it softens.
Step 2. Pour the sugar, vanilla sugar, and flour into a saucepan or a pot with a thick bottom. Mix the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and mix well with a whisk.
Step 3. Gradually pour in the milk in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a whisk so that the mixture is smooth and lump-free.
Step 4. Place the saucepan over low heat. Stir the cream constantly with a whisk. If desired, you can prepare it in a bain-marie; this will reduce the risk of scorching and the eggs curdling.
Step 5. Cook the cream, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. When it thickens considerably and begins to form large bubbles, turn off the heat immediately and remove the saucepan from the stove.
Step 6. Leave the hot cream for approximately 5 minutes. Then add the softened butter and mix until smooth. At first, the cream may seem runny, but it will thicken as it cools.
Step 7. Cover the cream with plastic wrap "in contact" so that it lies tightly against the surface. Leave it to cool at room temperature, then place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
The chilled cream will become thick and ready to use. For a cake, the layers can be spread with the cream while it is still warm, after which the finished cake should be placed in the refrigerator.