Classic Bayrische Creme but with a warm spiced twist. This Chai Bayerische Creme is the perfect, no-bake, fall dessert!
Bavarian Cream AKA Bayerische Creme is possibly one of my favorite non chocolate desserts of all time. This chai variation was inspired by the cooler temperatures and the changing seasons!
What is Bavarian Cream?
Bavarian cream is simply a rich vanilla custard that uses a little gelatin to help it set and is folded with whipped cream to give it a light and airy texture. It can be eaten just like this or used as donut or cake filling.
Can I leave out the Gelatin?
If you want it to set like a traditional Bavarian cream, then no. However, if you want to serve it as more of a soft mousse then yes! You will just allow the custard to cool after cooking it but not add in the gelatin and then fold it with the whipped cream.
Can this be made in advance?
Yes this can be made in advance, but the best is if you make the whole recipe all the way through and then place it in the fridge and they will keep for a few days. However, if you make the custard with the gelatin and then let it cool in the fridge, pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer and use the whisk attachment to break it up until it is smooth.
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Tips for making this Chai Tea Pudding Recipe
- Don’t walk away from the custard while it is cooking. Because this recipe doesn’t use a double boiler to cook the custard, it is even more important to stir it constantly once the eggs and sugar have been added to the cream.
- When pouring the hot cream into the egg yolks, place the bowl with the whisked egg yolks onto a damp towel or rag, this will keep the bowl from spinning while you whisk the eggs and pour in the cream.
- Allow the custard to cool to room temperature before folding it in with the whipped cream. Additionally, stir or whisk the custard frequently while it cools to help it cool evenly.
- If you don’t have time to let these set overnight it will still be delicious served as more of a soft mousse in bowls right after you have folded in the whipped cream.
Ingredients
- Milk: Any milk will work for this, you only need 3 tablespoons to bloom the gelatin in.
- Gelatin: I know gelatin can seem scary to some people but it’s actually very easy to use and helps the bavarian cream set and become sturdy. This recipe uses powdered gelatin.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy Cream or heavy whipping cream will work in this recipe. It is used for both the custard as well as the whipped cream that is folded in at the end.
- Egg Yolks: The egg yolks are a key ingredient in the custard. I use standard large eggs from the grocery store.
- Sugar: There is granulated sugar in the custard.
- Chai Tea bags: These create the base of the black tea flavor.
- Cinnamon, anise, cloves, ginger, orange zest, black pepper, cardamom, nutmeg: All of these spices help accentuate the chai flavor into the heavy cream.
How to make Chai Bayerische Creme
Chai infused cream
- In a medium sauce pot combine the cream, cinnamon, chai tea bags (remove the tags), cardamom, anise, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and orange zest.
- Place over medium – medium/high heat and stir until it begins to bubbles. Then reduce the heat to medium or medium low until it is gently bubbling. Stir constantly to prevent the mixture from burning but don’t reduce the heat so low that it stops bubbling. Cook for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let it steep for another 10 minutes.
- After it has finished steeping, pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove any bits in the cream. Set the infused cream aside.
Make the Custard
- In a small bowl, stir together the powdered gelatin and milk. Set aside to bloom for five minutes.
- After it has bloomed, put the gelatin mixture into a large bowl and place a fine mesh sieve over the top of the bowl.
- Place the 4 egg yolks in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pot (preferably with a heavy thick bottom) pour in the chai infused heavy cream. Bring the cream just to a simmer – stirring frequently to prevent it from burning.
- While the cream is heating up, add the sugar into the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture starts to lighten and become frothy.
- Once the chai cream is hot, remove it from the heat.
- Whisk the egg yolks constantly and slowly stream in 1/2 a cup of the hot heavy cream. This will temper the eggs.
- Then switch and start whisking the remaining heavy cream in the pot and slowly pour in the tempered eggs.
- Return the pot to medium heat and use a rubber spatula to stir the pot constantly making sure to scrape the edges of the pot.
- Cook the custard for about 3-5 minutes until it begins to thicken. Ideally you are looking for it to bubble once but you will have to stop stirring to check this so be quick.
- Once cooked, pour the hot custard through the sieve into the bowl with the bloomed gelatin. Then, immediately whisk the gelatin into the custard until it has fully dissolved.
- Set the bowl aside and stir regularly (every 5 minutes) to help it cool evenly.
Final Steps
- Once the custard is cooled to room temperature, whip the plain cream in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk on medium/high until streaks appear. *If you are not adding in gelatin or are serving it immediately, whisk the heavy cream to stiff peaks.
- In four additions, add the custard into the whipped cream. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the custard into the whipped cream after each addition.
- Once the custard is fully mixed into the the whipped cream, divide the mixture into 6 bowls, tea cups, or ramekins. Place the dishes into the fridge to set for four hours or overnight.
Chai Bayerische Creme | Chai Tea Pudding
Ingredients
Custard
- 375 ml heavy cream
- 4 bags chai tea tags removed
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 1" piece ginger grated
- 1 star anise pod
- 5 cloves whole
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorn whole
- 3 cardamom pods lightly smashed
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg grated
- 1 orange zested
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1 packet powdered gelatin
- 4 egg yolks
- 50 grams sugar
Whipped Cream
- 225 ml heavy cream cold
Instructions
Chai Infused Cream
- In a medium sauce pot combine the heavy cream, chai tea bags, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, cloves, black peppercorns, nutmeg, cardamom, and orange zest.
- Bring to a boil stirring constantly.
- Reduce the heat to medium/ medium low until it is just gently bubbling. Continue cooking and stirring for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat after 10 minutes and cover with a lid. Allow it to steep for another 10 minutes.
- Pour the mixture over a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to strain out all of the bits from the cream. Be sure to really press all of the cream out.
- Set the infused cream aside and discard the add ins that have been strained out.
Make the Custard
- Place the 3 T. of milk in a small bowl and sprinkle the top with the powdered gelatin, stir together and let it sit while you prepare the custard.
- Once bloomed (about 5 minutes) place the gelatin mixture in a large bowl and top it with a fine sieve.
- Pour the infused cream back into a medium sauce pan and cook on the stove over medium heat until it starts to simmer – stir frequently.
- While the cream heats up, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a small bowl until light.
- Once the cream is heated through, remove from the heat.
- While whisking the egg mixture constantly, slowly add a 1/2 cup of the hot cream to the egg yolks and sugar. This is called tempering the eggs.
- Now, while constantly whisking the remaining cream in the sauce pot, slowly pour the now tempered egg mixture back in.
- Return the pot to medium heat and stir constantly with a rubber spatula.
- Continue heating and stirring until the mixture has thickened slightly – it should just bubble.
- Once it has thickened, remove it from the heat immediately and pour it through the sieve over the bloomed gelatin.
- Remove the sieve, then immediately whisk the gelatin into the custard.
- Set the custard aside to cool but whisk frequently to prevent it from clumping or getting a skin.
Whip the cream and assemble
- Once the mixture has come to room temperature, whip up the remaining plain heavy cream until it is just before stiff peaks. *If not using gelatin or serving immediately, whip the cream to stiff peaks.
- In four additions, fold the custard into the whipped cream using a rubber spatula. Be careful not to stir but rather fold, this will help keep the air inside of the cream and keep the dessert from getting too dense.
- Pour the now mixed chai bavarian cream into 6 tea cups, ramekins, or bowls (these are what they will be served in).
- Place in the fridge to set for four hours or overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
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Can you steep the ingredients for the chai cream overnight in the fridge and avoid boiling it and get the same flavour?
Hi Talisa, I haven’t tried this because by cooking the cream it also reduces it slightly. So I would recommend using 250 ml of cream instead, bringing it to a boil with the ingredients just briefly (no need to cook it down) and then place it in the fridge overnight to steep. I hope this helps!