Bavarian cream, crème bavaroise or simply bavarois is a dessert consisting of milk thickened with eggs and

gelatin Gelatin or gelatine (from la, gelatus meaning "stiff" or "frozen") is a translucent, colorless, flavorless food ingredient, commonly derived from collagen taken from animal body parts. It is brittle when dry and rubbery when moist. It may also ...

isinglass Isinglass () is a substance obtained from the dried swim bladders of fish. It is a form of collagen used mainly for the clarification or fining of some beer and wine. It can also be cooked into a paste for specialised gluing purposes. The E ...

, into which

whipped cream Whipped cream is liquid heavy cream that is whipped by a whisk or mixer until it is light and fluffy and holds its shape, or by the expansion of dissolved gas, forming a firm colloid. It is often sweetened, typically with white sugar, and ...

is folded. The mixture sets up in a cold mold and is unmolded for serving. Earlier versions, sometimes called fromage bavarois, did not include eggs.

History

Bavarian cream is a classic

dessert Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and ...

that was included in the repertoire of chef Marie-Antoine Carême, who is sometimes credited with it. It was named in the early 19th century for

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

or, perhaps more likely in the history of haute cuisine, for a particularly distinguished visiting Bavarian, such as a

Wittelsbach The House of Wittelsbach () is a German dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including Bavaria, the Palatinate, Holland and Zeeland, Sweden (with Finland), Denmark, Norway, Hungary (with Romania), Bohemia, the Electorate o ...

. In the United States, Bavarian creams first appeared in

Boston Cooking School The Boston Cooking School was founded in 1879 by the Women’s Education Association of BostonNot to be confused with the Women's Educational and Industrial Union. "to offer instruction in cooking to those who wished to earn their livelihood as cook ...

books by D. A. Lincoln in 1884, and by Fannie Farmer in 1896.

Preparation and serving

Bavarian cream is lightened with whipped cream when on the edge of setting up and before it is molded; a true bavarian cream is usually filled into a fluted mold, chilled until firm, then turned out onto a serving plate. By coating a chilled mold first with a fruit gelatin, a glazed effect can be produced. Imperfections in the unmolding are disguised with strategically placed fluted piping of whipped cream. In the United States, it is common to serve Bavarian Cream directly from the bowl it has been chilled in, similar to a French

mousse A mousse (; ; "foam") is a soft prepared food that incorporates air bubbles to give it a light and airy texture. Depending on preparation techniques, it can range from light and fluffy to creamy and thick. A mousse may be sweet or savory. as e ...

. In this informal presentation, Escoffier recommended the bavarian cream be made in a " timbale or deep silver dish which is then surrounded with crushed ice".Escoffier, ''The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery'', 1903, tr. by H.L. Cracknell and R.J. Kaufmann. Reprinted (New York:John Wiley) 1999, p. 544 It may be served with a fruit sauce or a

raspberry The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with w ...

apricot An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus ''Prunus''. Usually, an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are also ...

purée A purée (or mash) is cooked food, usually vegetables, fruits or legumes, that has been ground, pressed, blended or sieved to the consistency of a creamy paste or liquid. Purées of specific foods are often known by specific names, e.g., apples ...

or used to fill elaborate charlottes. Though it does not pipe smoothly because of its gelatin, it could substitute for pastry cream as a filling for

doughnut A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franc ...

s. Some American "Bavarian Cream doughnuts" are filled with a version of a crème pâtissière ( pastry cream), some are filled with true ''bavarois''. The "Bavarian Cream" part of the name refers to the type of doughnut filling, with doughnuts including chocolate-frosted and non-chocolate-frosted varieties. Spellings of "cream" may differ, such as the Bavarian Crème Bismark from

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

-based Top Pot Doughnuts."Doughnuts: Filled"
'' Top Pot Doughnuts''. Retrieved 26 November 2022.

Gallery

Some Bavarian cream preparations include the following. File:Bayerische Creme.JPG, Bavarian cream with assorted fruit File:Bavarian cream with strawberries.jpg, Bavarian cream with strawberries File:Bavarian Crème Bismark - Top Pot Doughnuts - 27 November 2022.jpg, Bavarian crème bismark File:Bavarian Creme Buttermilk Doughnut - Donut Factory - 27 November 2022.jpg, Bavarian creme buttermilk doughnut File:Glazed Bavarian Creme Doughnut - Donut Factory - 27 November 2022.jpg, Bavarian creme glazed doughnut

Notes

External links

French cremes
@

The Food Timeline Lynne Olver (1958–2015) was a librarian and food historian, and the sole author of the Food Timeline website. Personal life Olver graduated from the University of Albany (SUNY). She was a librarian at the Morris County Library, New Jersey, ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bavarian Cream Custard desserts French desserts German desserts

History

Preparation and serving

Gallery

See also

Notes

External links