My absolute favorite type of whipped cream is custard based!! It’s stable, versatile and so very creamy. It’s substantial enough to use on cakes or pie, yet light enough to top your coffee or better yet your coffee cocktail. This recipe is part of my basics series! Sometimes all you need to elevate a recipe or store/bakery bought good is something deliciously homemade like this whipped cream! I hope you enjoy it.
This recipe makes about two cups and will take 20 minutes of active prep time, 30-60 minutes of cooling time.
Custard
Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon corn starch
Pinch salt
3 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
Directions:
1. Line a lipped sheet pan (or something similar like a large casserole dish) with plastic wrap. Also, have a fine mesh sieve ready, set both aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, add the milk and vanilla. Set on the stove top but prepare the next step before placing it over heat.
3. Add the sugar, corn starch, salt and egg yolks in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
4. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat, stir frequently with a spatula. Heat until it’s very hot, steaming and there are bubbles coming up on the sides of the pan. It is ready just before it starts simmering, about 3 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, whisk the egg mixture in the mixing bowl until it’s light and pale yellow.
6. Once the milk is hot, pour a third of it over the egg mixture while whisking. It’s important in this step to simply warm up the eggs, not to actually cook them into a scramble. Pour the rest of the milk into the mixing bowl while whisking. Place the saucepan aside and whisk the mixture until completely combined, at this point you have your custard base!
7. Pour the custard back into the saucepan and whisk over medium-high heat until boiling. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and whisk constantly and vigorously for 2 additional minutes. The custard will go from opaque to silky right at about the 2 minute mark.
** This is where you add in flavor variations if you want them! See below.
8. Pour the custard through the sieve into the lined sheet pan using a spatula. It’ll take a little effort to push the custard through but this step will strain out any imperfect bits like cooked egg.
9. Enclose the custard right away with plastic wrap. You don’t want a film to develop on the top. Let the custard come to room temperature, about 30 minutes to an hour.
10. Once the custard is cool, place a standing mixer bowl and whisk attachment into the freezer for about 5 minutes.
11. Place the bowl and whisk attachment back onto the mixer and pour in the heavy whipping cream. Turn on low speed.
12. The cream will start to thicken and as it does, increase the speed to medium then high. The goal is to not let the cream splatter up and out of the bowl.
13. The whipped heavy cream is ready when it’s thick and holds firm peaks, this will happen quickly once the cream starts to thicken!
14. Place your cooled custard in a medium sized bowl and add 1/3 of the whipped cream. Gently fold until combined. This will loosen up the custard.
15. Add the rest of the whipped cream and again, gently fold until combined.
16. This can be served immediately. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Flavor Variations
This recipe is so versatile because the custard can stand up to added ingredients so much better than cream!! I encourage you to get creative, look at extracts at the grocery store, add spices, have fun with it. Here are a few fall-inspired options I came up with:
Flavor Options:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon instant coffee, I used Starbucks Via Columbia Blend
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chai latte powdered mix
Directions:
After the custard has finished boiling, whisk any of the above flavors into the mix. Then proceed with step number eight (pouring the custard through a fine mesh sieve).
*A note about the chocolate and chai options: When it comes time to fold these custards into the whipped cream, take extra care. Both of these can easily deflate the tiny little bubbles in the whipped cream because they are heavier ingredients. They will make a more dense and silky whipped cream where the cinnamon and coffee options will be light and creamy. Both options are splendid, it just depends on the consistency you want!