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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Vanilla Bavarian Cream

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.29 from 7 ratings French
Vanilla Bavarian cream, also known as Crème Bavarois is a classical French dessert from the award winning celebrity chef of the late 1700 to early 1800, namely Marie Antoine Carême. If he would have been alive today, he would surely have been a Michelin star chef, no doubt about that one! This vanilla Bavarian cream dessert is a dessert made from milk, thickened with eggs and gelatine with whipped cream. It is a set dessert and made in individual molds. When working with gelatine, it is important to pour the gelatine over the water and to leave it to sponge like the vanilla pannacotta. I personally feel working with the gelatine powder is much easier than working with the gelatine leaves as they call it. It is also very important to stir or whisk well when using gelatine to prevent it from making that see-through layer above the vanilla Bavarian cream- a very visible sign for any chef lecturer to deduct marks from your practical exam. This was a very clear warning during my chef training that you did wrong when this happened. When making most of vanilla flavoured items, I prefer adding vanilla pod/bean seeds too - they have a very lovely vanilla flavour, as well as visibly it just makes it look more beautiful - a sign you truly love food and cooking.
A molded vanilla Bavarian cream dessert wobbling gently next to fresh fruit berries.
Prep 5 min
Cook 10 min
Total 15 min
Serves 6

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup hot milk
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 12 g gelatine, soaked in 60 ml cold water
  • 1 cup cream, whipped till soft peak
  • 188 ml sugar(1 and ¼ cup)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
  • 2 vanilla pods/bean seeds

Method

  1. Prepare a water bath (Bain Marie) by adding water up to a third in a saucepan

  2. Place a stainless steel bowl on top of the simmering water, ensuring that the water does not touch the bowl

  3. Cream the egg yolks and the sugar in the stainless steel bowl

  4. Then add the milk

  5. Whisk the mixture over the Bain Marie water bath until the mixture covers the back of a teaspoon (The same as with Crème Anglaise)

  6. To sponge the gelatine: Add the water in a bowl and add the gelatine over the water

  7. Leave for 5 minutes and then place in a microwave for approximately 30 seconds

  8. Add it to the Bain Marie mixture and whisk until dissolved and well incorporated

  9. Add the vanilla pod/bean seeds and keep the rest of the vanilla pod/bean - you can ad it into your sugar bowl for a lovely vanilla flavour

  10. Add the vanilla essence to the mixture

  11. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks and fold it in gently

  12. Fold in the whipped cream too

  13. Pour in the desired prepared moulds

  14. Set in the fridge

  15. Decorate with fresh fruit and a fruit sauce or any other way you wish

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