How to Make Delicious and Attractive Sweet Croquembouche

How to Make Croquembouche

• 1

  Heat the Milk

  First, place a pot on the stove with 1.5 liters of unsweetened fresh milk and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, heat the mixture over medium heat until warm, then turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.

  Tip: To prevent the milk from being altered and losing nutrients, you should only warm it up, the milk should be slightly steaming or bubbling gently, but it should not be brought to a full boil!

  

  
• 2

  Whisk the Egg Mixture

  Add 18 egg yolks and 450g of sugar to a bowl, then use a mixer to beat until the sugar is dissolved, and the egg mixture is thick, smooth, and turns light yellow.

  Next, add 95g of cornstarch and continue to mix well with the mixer.

  

  

  

  
• 3

  Make egg milk ice cream

  Next, slowly pour the cooked fresh milk into the bowl of eggs and use a mixer to mix until the mixture is completely blended.

  At this point, pour the blended egg milk mixture into a pot and place it on the stove. Stir continuously in one direction over medium heat for about 7 – 10 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.

  Then, add 42g of unsalted butter immediately and continue stirring until the butter melts, and the mixture is smooth and thickened completely, then turn off the heat.

  Finally, strain the egg milk mixture into a bowl through a sieve, cover tightly with plastic wrap directly touching the surface of the mixture, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

  

  

  

  
• 4

  Mixing the dough

  Place a new pot on the stove, add 945ml of water, 453g of unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 75g of sugar. Stir well over high heat until the butter melts and the mixture boils, then turn off the heat.

  Next, immediately add 500g of flour into the butter pot, stirring until the mixture is well combined.

  Then, gradually add 12 eggs, mixing each egg thoroughly before adding the next. Continue mixing until you achieve a smooth mixture.

  

  

  

  
• 5

  Shaping and Baking the Cake

  Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes to stabilize the temperature.

  Next, place the mixed batter into a piping bag, preparing a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

  Then, pipe the batter onto the tray in small spiral shapes and use a finger (dipped in water) to gently press down on the tops of the cakes to flatten them.

  Whisk 1 egg, then brush a thin layer over each cake and bake at 220 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 190 degrees Celsius and continue baking for another 15 minutes.

  Finally, let the cakes cool slightly, poke a small hole in the bottom, and fill them with cream custard.

  

  

  

  
• 6

  Making caramel

  Place a pot on the stove, add 400g of sugar, 160ml of water, and 2 tablespoons of dark corn syrup, then heat over high heat.

  When the sugar water boils, cover the pot tightly and continue cooking for another 5 minutes over medium heat. After 5 minutes, open the lid and cook the mixture until it turns a brown color.

  At this point, quickly add 160ml of heavy cream and stir well to combine.

  

  

  
• 7

  Decoration

  Quickly dip the top of the cake into the bowl of caramel, then stack them on top of each other to form a cone shape.

  Finally, use a fork to dip into the caramel and drizzle evenly in strands around the plate of cake to finish.

  

  

  

  
• 8

  Final Product

  The croquembouche cake looks extremely attractive and eye-catching thanks to the evenly coated caramel layer around it.

  Each small cake has a soft, chewy shell, a sweet caramel sauce combined with a rich cream filling that fills the mouth; it can be said to be incredibly delicious!