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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.

A dish filled with French pastry cream vanilla mousseline.
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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.

Butter-enriched pastry cream or French pastry cream in a dish with a spoon.

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 in a dish with a spoon.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
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Mousseline Cream

Mousseline cream (crème mousseline) is a rich, butter-enriched pastry cream with a smooth, airy texture. Use it to fill cakes, pastries, or tarts.
Just make sure the butter and custard are the same temperature before combining, they won’t emulsify properly if one is colder than the other. You can flavor the cream with chocolate, coffee, or freeze-dried fruit powder.

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Servings: 5 cups
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Ingredients 

  • 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
  • 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.
    Whisking sugar, egg and cornstarch in a mixing bowl.
  • Slowly ladle a few spoonfuls of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
    Whisking milk into a mixture in a bowl for crème mousseline.
  • Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
    Adding tempered eggs to a pot to make custard-based buttercream.
  • Remove from the heat and whisk in half of the butter (¾ cups/ 170 grams) until fully melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla.
    Adding butter to a pot to make creme mousseline recipe.
  • 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).
    Covering a bowl of homemade custard to cool for the buttercream.
  • 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.
    Whipping butter in a bowl for crème mousseline.
  • 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

Match the temperature: The custard and butter need to be the same temperature before mixing, around 65–70°F. If the custard is too cold, the butter can seize. If it’s too warm, the cream can turn soupy.
Don’t stop whisking: While cooking the custard, whisk constantly and don’t walk away. It thickens quickly and can go lumpy fast if you’re not on it.
Fixing broken cream: If the final mixture looks curdled or separated, don’t panic. Keep beating, it usually comes back together once everything is the same temperature and emulsified.
Flavor it your way: Stir melted and cooled chocolate into the butter before adding the custard, or add instant espresso powder or fruit powder (like freeze-dried raspberry or strawberry) to the custard base before cooking.
How to use it: Great as a filling for cakes, cream puffs, tarts, or layered desserts. It holds up better than whipped cream but is lighter than straight buttercream.
Storage: Store in the fridge, tightly covered, for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature and re-whip before using to restore the silky texture.
 
Nutrition is based on ¼ cup portion. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 211kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 92mg, Sodium: 27mg, Potassium: 65mg, Fiber: 0.03g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 548IU, Calcium: 49mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Pat Nyswonger

Pat Nyswonger is a self-taught home cook with years of experience creating from-scratch meals for family and friends. As a wife, mother of four, and grandmother to seventeen, she understands the value of recipes that bring people together. Her kitchen has always been the heart of her home, where she enjoys developing flavorful, approachable dishes that home cooks of any level can make and enjoy.

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