Crème Diplomat
Silky custard filling made with pastry cream and stabilized whipped cream.
Servings: 4 cups
Ingredients
For the Pastry Cream
- 5 (5) Large Egg Yolks, (medium in the UK)
- 100 g (½ cup) Granulated Sugar, (caster sugar)
- 30 g (¼ cup) Cornstarch, (cornflour)
- 480 ml (2 cups) Whole Milk
- 2 teaspoon (2 teaspoon) Vanilla Extract, or vanilla bean paste
- ⅛ teaspoon (⅛ teaspoon) Salt
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) Unsalted Butter
For the Chantilly Cream
- 240 ml (1 cup) Heavy Cream, (double cream) cold
- 30 g (¼ cup) Powdered Sugar, (icing sugar)
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Gelatin Powder
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) Water, (room temperature)
Instructions
Make The Pastry Cream
- Note: Make the pastry cream at least 4 hours ahead of time so it has time to chill. If you are new to custard recipes, see my guide on how to make pastry cream for detailed instructions, process pictures, and troubleshooting.
- Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together until pale and thick.
- Add the milk and vanilla to a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it is scalding hot. This means there is steam rising from the surface and tiny bubbles appearing on the surface.
- Gradually drizzle the hot cream into the egg mixture, whisking it in as you go. It's important to do this slowly so that the eggs warm up gradually and don't scramble.
- Pour the whole custard mixture back into the pan over medium-low heat and bring it to a boil, whisking constantly.
- Boil for 1-2 minutes until the custard has thickened and you see thick bubbles bursting on the surface.
- If there are any lumps in your pastry cream, pass it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove them.
- Stir in the salt and the butter, a little at a time, until totally incorporated.
- Cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic is touching the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool to room temperature and then put in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours.
Make the Chantilly Cream
- Make the chantilly cream once your pastry cream has completely cooled, right before you want to use the creme diplomat.
- Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the water in a microwave-safe bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes to bloom.
- Meanwhile, add the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to a stand mixer and whip to soft peaks.
- Put the bloomed gelatin in the microwave in short, 5-10 second bursts until it has completely dissolved and looks clear.
- With the mixer on. medium speed, quickly pour the gelatin into the cream. Make sure not to hit the whisk as it will spin the gelatin out and make gloopy lumps in your cream.
- Turn the mixer up to high speed and whip until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip it or your cream will turn grainy and may separate. I like to whip to medium-stiff peaks in the mixer, then finish it off by hand to avoid overwhipped.
Make the Creme Diplomat
- Remove your pastry cream from the fridge and stir it gently with a whisk to bring it back to a smooth texture. Put it in a large mixing bowl.
- Add half of the chantilly cream and carefully fold it in with a spatula. Then add the remaining half and fold until totally incorporated. Use a light hand so you don't knock too much air out of the cream. Use immediately.
Notes
The perfect consistency for creme diplomat comes from a 2:1 ratio of 2 parts pastry cream to 1 part chantilly cream by weight.
This recipe is developed to give roughly the right amount, but how much pastry cream you make can vary quite a bit depending on the ingredients and how much it thickens.
For the best results, weigh your pastry cream so you can add the right ratio of whipped cream to it.