Bavarian Cream

I was looking for an "authentic" Bavarian Cream recipe to use in Justin's b-day cake because I really don't like the "pudding-y" kind. I found this recipe on "Joe Pastry" and it was great! The recipe says that you can freeze it for up to 3 months, which I think is wierd, because I didn't think that cream things were supposed to freeze well, but I've put the remainder in the freezer to try it, so we'll see how it works! :)

Bavarian Cream

1.5 ounces (3 Tablespoons) cold water
2 1/4 tsp gelatin
4 large egg yolks
3 ounces (1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) sugar
1 1/2 C. half-and-half
seeds from one vanilla bean
1 1/2 C. heavy cream, cold

Put the cold water in a small bowl, sprinkle on the gelatin and let it stand. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar.


Get a large bowl of ice water ready. It should be big enough to hold the bowl of cooked custard, without letting water spill into the mixture.


Put the half-and-half in a small saucepan, add the vanilla seeds and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then slowly pour it into the egg mixture, whisking the whole time. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and bring it just to a boil. When the custard starts to bubble, pour it through a fine mesh strainer into another bowl. Whisk in the gelatin and place the bowl in the ice water bath.


While the custard is cooling, whip the cream. Add the cold cream to the bowl of an electric mixer and whip to the soft peak stage. When the custard has cooled and has just started to thicken but is still liquid, fold in the whipped cream. If desired, scrape the mixture into individual serving bowls, or leave in the large bowl. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours. It can be kept several days or frozen for up to three months.