Cremeschnitte (Vanilla Slice)

Two layers of crispy puff pastry filled with creamy and rich vanilla pudding and cut into individual slices – these Cremeschnitte are the perfect combination of crunchy and creamy.

Cremeschnitte vs. Vanilleschnitte?

From what I have found, cremeschnitte come from Austria whereas they are more frequently called vanilleschnitte in Germany. They are also very similar to the Vanilla Slice or Vanilla Custard Slice. There are slight differences in the various recipes but they are usually all made with two layers of puff pastry that are baked, and then sandwiched with a vanilla custard that is thickened.

Can these be made in advance?

Yes! They do have to set for a while in order for the vanilla cream filling to hold together so they can be prepped the night before. However, the longer the sit the soggier the puff pastry will become – so best to eat them asap (which isn’t hard to do!).

What can I use instead of Cornstarch to thicken the pudding?

I have only tested this recipe with cornstarch; however, I have used arrowroot starch in the past as a 1:1 replacement in other similar recipes and had great success with it. So, if you are looking to substitute cornstarch I recommend using arrowroot as potato and other starches can vary more.

Tips for making Cremeschnitte

• Many recipes will bake the puff pastry between two baking sheets to keep them from puffing up too much. I don’t love that because I like to be able to see what I’m baking. So instead I bake the sheets for about half the time and when I go to swap the baking positions I use a metal spatula to quickly flatten them before putting them back in the oven.
• Make sure that the puff pastry layers have cooled fully before assembling the pudding cake.
• The vanilla custard pudding filling is actually very easy you just can’t leave it on the stove unattended. It is best to be gently but constantly stirring as it cooks.

Additional Pastries to try!

• Raspberry Prasselkuchen | Raspberry Streusel Bars
• Erdbeerkuchen | German Strawberry Cake
• Bavarian Cream recipe with berries

Ingredients for Vanilla Pudding Slices

• Puff Pastry: I always use frozen puff pastry and my two favorite brands are Dufour and Pepperidge Farm. However you are more than welcome to make your own from scratch if you have time!
• Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar in the vanilla cream pudding – I have also sprinkled the top layer of the puff pastry with more granulated sugar to create a crunchy top.
• Corn Starch: Corn starch acts as the thickening agent in the pudding rather than gelatin so that it maintains a softer texture.
• Milk: The filling uses a combination of milk and heavy cream. I used skim milk but any milk will work!
• Eggs: The custard uses only egg yolks to add richness and thickness but the egg whites can be frozen or refrigerated and used for these Schaumküss.
• Butter: The butter is added after the custard has cooked and adds richness and acts as a little bit of a stabilizer for the filling. It does not need to be at room temperature as the heat from the custard will melt it as you stir.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds flavor to the filling but you can also add the scrapings of a whole vanilla bean instead.

How to make Custard Slices

Puff Pastry Layers

• Preheat the oven to 400 F and place arrange two baking racks so that they divide the oven into thirds.
• Lay a sheet of parchment paper on two different baking sheets.
• Defrost two sheets of puff pastry and just gently and barely roll them out and trim to the size of a 9″ x 9″ baking pan.
• Place one square of pastry onto each parchment lined baking sheet. Prick the surfaces all over with a fork and sprinkle 50 grams of sugar onto one of the sheets of pastry.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes have passed take both sheets out of the oven and flatten them out with a metal spatula or another baking sheet.
• Place both baking sheets back in the oven but this time swap the racks that they were baking on and rotate them 180 degrees.
• Bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown.
• Once baked, take them both out of the oven and place on wire racks. While still warm, move the sheet of baked puff pastry with the sugar on top to a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to cut the large square into 16 smaller squares by cutting it into quarters in each direction.
• Allow both sheets of pastry to cool while preparing the pudding.

Vanilla Custard Pudding Filling

• In a medium pot whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk. Stopping as needed to fully whisk the sugar and cornstarch into the milk to avoid clumps.
• Pour in the heavy cream and whisk again. Finally add in the egg yolks and whisk until fully combined.
• Place the pot over medium heat and whisk regularly (does not need to be forceful but slow and steady). Just be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot as you stir. The mixture will begin to thicken and once the lines of the whisk stay for a couple of seconds, it is finished cooking.
• Remove the pot from the heat and add in the butter and vanilla. Whisk until fully combined.
• Pour the pudding into a large shallow dish and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
• The pudding should cool down but not all the way to room temperature so that it is still fluid enough to create an even layer.

Assemble the Cremeschnitte

• Line a 9″ x 9″ baking pan with a rectangle of parchment paper that is just under 9″ wide and about 15″ long.
• Lay the intact piece of puff pastry in the bottom of the pan.
• Pour the vanilla pudding over the top and gently smooth it out with a rubber or offset spatula.
• Place the 16 squares that make up the top sheet of pastry onto the pudding in the original arrangement with the sugar side up.
• Place the tray in the fridge and leave to set for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
• Once set, use a thin knife along the two sides of the pudding, where there is not parchment paper, to separate it from the pan.
• Use the two parchment paper ends to lift the cremeschnitte out of the pan and place on a cutting board.
• Using a long sharp knife, make long smooth cuts in between the 16 squares of pastry through the bottom sheet of pastry.
• Gently, pull each cremeschnitte square away from the adjacent slices and serve. Optionally dust with powdered sugar.