French Frangipane Cream
Frangipane cream is an essential cream in French pastry, made from a mixture of almond cream and pastry cream. It is the perfect filling for the galette des rois, although it is often confused with almond cream. These are the two creams that I love using for my homemade galettes des rois.
Some prefer the galette filled with almond cream, made with just four simple ingredients, while others opt for the lighter version combined with pastry cream, resulting in the famous frangipane. At home, we appreciate both equally. Throughout January, during the Epiphany season, I make one or two galettes with frangipane and another one or two with just almond cream.
If, like me, you really love the taste of almonds, you can use raw, unpeeled almond powder and add a little bit of bitter almond extract.
You can use frangipane cream in fruit tarts, to fill homemade brioches, apple turnovers, croissants, and more…
Table of Contents
Ingredient:
NB: Find the printable recipe card at the end of the article.
For filling a 24 cm (9.5 inches) galette des rois, for exemple
For the pastry cream
- 125 ml (4.4 oz) milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 25 g (0.9 oz ) granulated sugar
- 1/2 vanilla pod or vanilla extract
- 15 g (0.5 oz ) cornstarch
For the almond cream
75 g (2.6 oz ) powdered sugar
75 g (2.6 oz ) soft butter
75 g (2.6 oz ) almond flour
75 g (2.6 oz ) egg weighed without the shell
5 g (0.18 oz ) cornstarch (optional)
15 g (0.5 oz ) rum (optional) or a teaspoon of bitter almond or vanilla extract
Preparation
Pastry cream
1. Whisk the egg yolk with the sugar in a bowl until the mixture turns pale.
2. Add the cornstarch and mix.
3. Bring the milk to a boil with the seeds from the half vanilla pod and the pod itself.
4. Pour the hot milk through a strainer over the egg mixture.
5. Stir everything together and return to the saucepan.
6. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens.
7. Transfer to a dish and cover with plastic wrap, ensuring it touches the surface.
8. Refrigerate for about an hour. It must be cold before incorporating it into the almond cream.
Almond cream
1. Cream the softened butter with the sugar until it becomes a smooth cream. You can do this in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2. Add the egg and almond flour, alternating between them, a little bit of egg and then a little bit of almond flour, until both are incorporated.
3. Stir between each addition without whisking. You should obtain a smooth cream.
Almond cream
Frangipane cream
1. Smooth the pastry cream and add it to the almond cream. Mix to obtain a smooth, homogenous texture.
2. Fill a piping bag and refrigerate to firm it up a bit.
If you want to use it to fill a galette des rois, pipe it into a 20 cm (8 inches) tart ring. The ring should be placed on cling film. Pipe it in a spiral shape
Freeze before assembling the galette des rois. This method makes it easier to assemble your galette des rois.
Frangipane Almond Cream Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- For filling a 24 cm (9.5 inches) galette des rois, for exemple
For the pastry cream
- 125 ml milk (4.4 oz)
- 1 egg yolk
- 25 g granulated sugar (0.9 oz)
- 1/2 vanilla pod or vanilla extract
- 15 g cornstarch (0.5 oz)
For the almond cream
- 75 g powdered sugar (2.6 oz)
- 75 g soft butter (2.6 oz)
- 75 g almond flour (2.6 oz)
- 75 g egg weighed without the shell (2.6 oz)
- 5 g cornstarch (optional) (0.18 oz)
- 15 g rum (optional) or a teaspoon of bitter almond or vanilla extract (0.5 oz)
PREPARATION
Pastry cream
- Whisk the egg yolk with the sugar in a bowl until the mixture turns pale.
- Add the cornstarch and mix.
- Bring the milk to a boil with the seeds from the half vanilla pod and the pod itself.
- Pour the hot milk through a strainer over the egg mixture.
- Stir everything together and return to the saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens.
- Transfer to a dish and cover with plastic wrap, ensuring it touches the surface.
- Refrigerate for about an hour. It must be cold before incorporating it into the almond cream.
Almond cream
- Cream the softened butter with the sugar until it becomes a smooth cream. You can do this in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add the egg and almond flour, alternating between them, a little bit of egg and then a little bit of almond flour, until both are incorporated.
- Stir between each addition without whisking. You should obtain a smooth cream.
Frangipane cream
- Smooth the pastry cream and add it to the almond cream. Mix to obtain a smooth, homogenous texture.
- Fill a piping bag and refrigerate to firm it up a bit.
- If you want to use it to fill a galette des rois, pipe it into a 20 cm (8 inches) tart ring. The ring should be placed on cling film. Pipe it in a spiral shape
- Freeze before assembling the galette des rois. This method makes it easier to assemble your galette des rois.
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