Learn how to make diplomat cream and add a touch of elegance to your desserts! This creamy classic French pastry cream can be used in everything from donuts to crepe cakes.
Diplomat cream is one of those classic recipes that (I’ll admit) is slightly complex. But once you master it, your desserts reach new heights of awesomeness. If you’re curious about making pastry cream at home, today we are going to walk through adding diplomat cream to your repertoire. Watch out world, you’re about to level up!
Why You’ll Love This Diplomat Cream Recipe
- Light and airy texture. Diplomat cream adds a fluffy, luxurious texture to desserts. Its combination of pastry cream and whipped cream makes it perfect for filling and frosting cakes, éclairs, and other pastries.
- Versatile. Diplomat cream can be flavored in a variety of ways, making it a versatile cream that can be used in many different desserts. You can add vanilla extract, citrus zest, or even chocolate to the pastry cream before adding the whipped cream to give it different flavors.
- Stable. Diplomat cream is stabilized with gelatin, which makes it more stable and less likely to separate or collapse. This means it can hold up well in desserts that need to be stored or transported, such as layer cakes.
- Impressive. Diplomat cream is a staple in many bakeries and pastry shops, so using it in your desserts can give them a professional touch. It can take a simple dessert and elevate it to the next level.
What is Diplomat Cream?
Diplomat cream, also known as crème diplomat, is a light and airy pastry cream that is lightened with stabilized whipped cream. This makes it ideal for piping or being used as cake filling because it will hold its shape. Diplomat cream is a versatile cream that is commonly used in a variety of desserts, such as cakes, éclairs, and tarts.
How to Make Diplomat Cream
Are you ready to make diplomat cream from scratch? This is a somewhat advanced (but do-able!) recipe so we’re going to go through it step-by-step.
A Brief Overview
To make diplomat cream, you’ll start by making basic pastry cream. The pastry cream will chill overnight.
Next, you’ll make a stabilized whipped cream with gelatin and powdered sugar. Then you’ll fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream, which will lighten the texture of the pastry cream and add a fluffy, airy quality to it. The end result is what we call diplomat cream!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Now that you have a high-level overview, here are all the details. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for ingredient amounts.
Make The Pastry Cream
- Combine milk and sugar. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk with sugar and vanilla extract over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.
- Mix egg yolks, salt and cornstarch. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, salt and cornstarch until well combined.
- Temper the eggs. Slowly pour about 1/2 of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. (I wrote more about tempering eggs in my avgolemono soup post.)
- Combine mixtures. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, whisking constantly.
- Cook until thickened. Begin heating the custard base on medium heat while whisking vigorously. The mixture should start to thicken within 1-2 minutes. Once boiling, reduce the heat and continue cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes after the first bubbles appear.
- Add butter. Remove from the heat, add butter, stirring well until the butter is completely melted and incorporated.
- Chill overnight. Pour the custard into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the custard. Let the pastry cream cool to room temperature. Place in the fridge overnight.
Combine Pastry Cream + Whipped Cream
- Dissolve gelatin. In a small bowl, pour in the water and add the gelatin powder. Stir to combine and let the mixture sit for around 10 minutes to bloom. Microwave the bowl for 15 seconds to dissolve the gelatin, being careful not to let it boil. Set aside to cool.
- Add some heavy cream. Add 2 tablespoons of cold heavy whipping cream, mixing well, to temper the cooled gelatin mixture.
- Make the whipped cream. Beat 1 cup chilled heavy cream with powdered sugar to soft peaks. Add tempered gelatin and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Be sure not to over-beat the cream.
- Combine pastry cream and whipped cream. Using a balloon whisk, whip the pastry cream until it achieves a smooth and creamy consistency. Gently fold the whipped cream in pastry cream until well combined. It’s important to be gentle and not overmix.
- Chill the cream for 30 minutes in the fridge. Then mix briefly with your balloon whisk and use the cream.
Why Is There Gelatin in the Whipped Cream?
To ensure that the diplomat cream stays stable and doesn’t separate, it’s important to use gelatin to stabilize the whipped cream. Make sure to dissolve the gelatin completely and let it cool to room temperature before adding the whipped cream.
Adding Flavors
Diplomat cream can be flavored in a variety of ways, depending on the dessert you’re making. You can add vanilla extract, citrus zest, or even chocolate to the pastry cream before adding the whipped cream to give it different flavors. I added matcha one time and the end result was both gorgeous and delicious!
If you’re adding flavorings make sure to add them before you fold in the whipped cream. This will ensure that the flavor is evenly distributed throughout the cream.
Tips for Success
- Use cold ingredients. Make sure the heavy cream is cold when you whip it and the pastry cream is cold when you mix it with the whipped cream. This will help the cream hold its shape and prevent it from becoming too soft.
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks. When you whip the heavy cream, make sure to whip it until it forms stiff peaks. This will help give the diplomat cream its light and airy texture.
- Use a light hand when folding. When you fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream, use a light hand and be gentle. Over-mixing can cause the cream to deflate and become too soft.
- Chill before using. After you’ve made the diplomat cream, it’s a good idea to chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using it. This will help it set up and make it easier to work with.
Ways to Use Diplomat Cream
There are many ways to use diplomat cream in desserts. Here are a few ideas:
- Cake filling. Diplomat cream makes a great cake filling, especially for layer cakes. Its light and airy texture makes it a good complement to denser cake layers. You can add different flavors to the pastry cream, such as lemon or chocolate, to create a variety of cake fillings. I like to use it to make crepe cakes, which are layers of crepes, cream, and fruit.
- Éclairs and cream puffs. Diplomat cream is a classic filling for éclairs and cream puffs. You can pipe the cream into the pastry shells using a pastry bag and decorate them with a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of chocolate.
- Donuts. It can be pipped into Bismark donuts, Long John donuts, and even Boston cream donuts instead of the Boston cream.
- Tarts. Use it as a filling for fruit tarts or other types of tarts. Simply spread the cream over the tart shell and top it with your favorite fruits, such as strawberries or raspberries.
- Mille-feuille. Diplomat cream is a traditional filling for mille-feuille, also known as Napoleon pastry. You can layer sheets of puff pastry with diplomat cream and fruit to create a decadent dessert.
- Trifles. Use it as a layer in a trifle, alternating with cake, fruit, and other fillings. Its light and airy texture makes it a good contrast to the denser layers of cake or pudding.
- With fresh fruit. You can even serve diplomat cream on its own in small bowls topped with fresh berries. This simple presentation is also ultra-elegant since you’re using a professional cream instead of plain whipped cream.
These are just a few ideas for using diplomat cream. The possibilities are endless!
Can You Store Extra For Later?
Yes, you can store extra diplomat cream in the refrigerator for later use. It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
When storing diplomat cream, make sure to cover it with plastic wrap or press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent skin from forming on top. This will help to keep the cream fresh and prevent it from drying out.
PrintDiplomat Cream
Learn how to make diplomat cream completely from scratch! This elegant pastry cream can be used in cakes, cookies, donuts and more so it’s a great recipe to have in your toolkit.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chill Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 9 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- pinch of kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Make the pastry cream:
- Combine milk and sugar. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk with sugar and vanilla extract over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.
- Mix egg yolks, salt and cornstarch. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, salt and cornstarch until well combined.
- Temper the eggs. Slowly pour about 1/2 of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
- Combine mixtures. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, whisking constantly.
- Cook until thickened. Begin heating the custard base on medium heat while whisking vigorously. The mixture should start to thicken within 1-2 minutes. Once boiling, reduce the heat and continue cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes after the first bubbles appear.
- Add butter. Remove from the heat, add butter, stirring well until the butter is completely melted and incorporated.
- Chill overnight. Pour the custard into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the custard. Let the pastry cream cool to room temperature. Place in the fridge overnight.
Make the whipped cream:
- Dissolve gelatin. In a small bowl, pour in the water and add the gelatin powder. Stir to combine and let the mixture sit for around 10 minutes to bloom. Microwave the bowl for 15 seconds to dissolve the gelatin, being careful not to let it boil. Set aside to cool.
- Add some heavy cream. Add 2 tablespoons of cold heavy whipping cream, mixing well, to temper the cooled gelatin mixture.
- Make the whipped cream. Beat 1 cup chilled heavy cream with powdered sugar to soft peaks. Add tempered gelatin and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Be sure not to over-beat the cream.
Make the Diplomat Cream
- Combine pastry cream and whipped cream. Using a balloon whisk, whip the pastry cream until it achieves a smooth and creamy consistency. Gently fold the whipped cream in pastry cream until well combined. It’s important to be gentle and not over-mix.
- Chill the cream for 30 minutes in the fridge. Then mix briefly with your balloon whisk and use the cream.
Last Step:
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