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Mousseline cream is the French pastry hack that gives you the best of both worlds; the creamy depth of custard with the structure of buttercream. It’s smooth, pipeable, and won’t weep or collapse on you.
Use it anywhere you’d normally reach for whipped cream or buttercream, and level up the whole dessert.
Here’s Why This Mousseline Cream Recipe Works
No-fail texture: Tempered eggs and cornstarch keep the custardy pastry cream lump-free and glossy every time.
Smooth as silk: Whipping softened butter before blending ensures the lightest, silkiest finish.
Temperature tricks: Matching the custard and butter temps means no splitting, no sad curdles.
Flavor chameleon: Take it classic with vanilla, or go bold with espresso, fruit, or chocolate add-ins.
Recipe Tips
Match the temps: Let both the custard and butter hit 65–70°F before combining. Any cooler or warmer, and the emulsion can break
Whisk nonstop: When cooking the custard, don’t stop stirring. It thickens fast and loves to surprise you with lumps
Use the right tools: A stand mixer with both whisk and paddle attachments makes a huge difference for that final whip.
Fix it if it breaks: If the cream splits, just keep beating. It almost always comes back together once everything’s emulsified.
Flavor options: Add flavorings like melted chocolate, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, or freeze dried fruit powders before the final mix.
Crème Mousseline
Mousseline cream is the pastry cream glow-up you didn’t know you needed. It’s smooth, stable, and instantly upgrades anything it touches. Try it on my cherry almond cream cake.
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Mousseline Cream
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Ingredients
- 2½ cups whole milk
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 cup extra-fine sugar, or caster sugar, 200 grams
- ½ cup cornstarch, 56 grams
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed and divided (340 grams; 3 sticks)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk to a gentle simmer, then remove it from the heat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and cornstarch until the mixture is smooth and pale.
- Slowly ladle a few spoonfuls of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
- Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in half of the butter (¾ cups/ 170 grams) until fully melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla.
- Spread the custard into a shallow dish. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and let it cool to room temperature (about 65–70°F).
- Place the remaining ¾ cup of butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the butter until light and creamy.
- Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-high speed, add the cooled pastry cream one spoonful at a time, letting each addition fully incorporate before adding the next. Take your time with this step, slow mixing helps emulsify the cream properly. Beat until the mousseline is light, smooth, and silky, about 3 minutes.
- Use immediately or transfer the mousseline cream to a serving dish.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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