Easy Crème Légère Recipe

Crème Légère, crème Madam, or Princess cream... Behind these names simply hides a delicious French cream made with silky pastry cream and light and airy whipped cream. 

If you are one of those home bakers with a passion for baking, you need to include this cream in your rotation. It is a superb alternative to a traditional pastry cream that is lighter and makes the perfect filling for pastries.

Jump to:

• What is crème légère?
• Creme Légère vs. Creme Diplomate
• Why you should try this recipe
• Ingredients
• Flavor variations
• How to make crème légère
• Expert Tips
• Storing and freezing
• How to use Crème Légère
• Troubleshooting
• FAQ
• Love cream frosting recipes? Try these next!
• Recipe card
• Comments

But you may be lost in French pastry terminology if you aren't French. With all these fancy names for creams, from la crème légère and crème Diplomate to crème Chantilly and crème mousseline, it is easy to get overwhelmed. But don't worry; let's decode the mystery together.

Here's a quick guide for French phrases related to crème légère:

• crème légère fluide recette means fluid light cream recipe;
• crème épaisse légère means thick light cream;
• crème légère semi-épaisse semi-thick light cream.

You may hear other names for creme legere, like light pastry cream, pastry cream with heavy cream, light cream, or whipped pastry cream.

What is crème légère?

Crème Légère is a classic French cream made with French pastry cream that is lightened up with whipped cream. It literally translates as 'light cream,' sometimes 'lightened cream' in English.

Also called Madame cream (crème Madame in French) or Princess cream (crème Princess in French), it is soft and airy and is perfect for filling choux pastry desserts such as choux buns, choux a la cream, choux au craquelin, chouquettes, eclairs, also fruit tarts.

It is lighter than Diplomat cream, creme mousseline, or classic buttercream for filling cakes. So if you want a stable cream to decorate your cake, opt for those mentioned.

Creme Légère vs. Creme Diplomate

Both creams are smooth, airy, and light, but what is the difference?

Creme Legere is a blend of French pastry cream (crème patissière) and whipped cream (crème fouettée). On the contrary, creme Diplomate is made with pastry and whipped cream and stabilized with added gelatin.

Creme Legere is ultimately similar to a Diplomat cream, minus the gelatin. It is a mix of creme patissiere (cream pastry), often shortened to creme pate, and freshly whipped cream - a luxurious filling for any cake. 

Why you should try this recipe

• The creme legere recipe (recette crème légère) is easy and quick. It takes about 20 minutes of hands-on time plus about 30 minutes to let the pastry cream cool.

• Vanilla light cream is made with just 6 basic ingredients. There is a chance that you have already had them in the fridge and your pantry.

• It is so versatile that you can use it in numerous desserts, from simple cream puffs to cupcakes and cakes.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Milk: Opt for whole milk over low-fat or skim milk for the richer fat content and milk flavor. You can use half of the milk and half of the cream if desired.

• Vanilla is a classic flavor added to the cream. Use a vanilla pod with scraped vanilla bean seeds, or replace it with vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. French chefs prefer Madagascar vanilla beans for their exquisite flavor and captivating aroma.

• Eggs are an essential binding ingredient that brings flavor to the final product. Make sure to use eggs at room temperature.

• Sugar: Use white granulated or caster sugar. Some chefs use icing (powdered) sugar instead.

• Cornstarch is used to thicken the pastry cream. You can replace it with all-purpose flour or a mixture of cornstarch and flour in a 1:1 ratio.

• Cream: Choose "heavy cream" or "heavy whipping cream" over simple whipped cream. For the best results, the cream must have at least 30% fat content. If you live in the UK, opt for double cream, whose fat content is higher than those mentioned in the USA.

Note: Some legere cream recipes use a small amount of cold butter (about 1 oz. (30 g) to enrich the pastry cream. If you are looking for a light filling, follow the recipe as directed.

Flavor variations

You can bring different flavors to the Crème Légère by flavoring the pastry cream. Let your creativity take up to make new flavorful combinations you will love.

• Chocolate: Add dark chocolate, 10% of the weight of the pastry cream ingredients (not counting the heavy cream) with butter (if used) and mix well.

• Coffee: Add coarsely-crushed coffee beans to the hot milk and let infuse for 20-30 minutes. Or add a few drops of the coffee extract to the eggs and sugar mixture.

• Spices and herbs: Add a cinnamon stick, star anise, mint leaves, and verbena to the milk, boil, and let infuse for at least 10 minutes.

• Tea: Add Earl Grey or fruit tea bag to the hot milk and leave for 3-5 minutes to infuse.

• Citrus: Add citrus zest to the hot milk for 5 minutes, then pass through a fine-mesh strainer.

• Flavored water: Add 1 teaspoon of rose water or orange blossom water to the egg and sugar mixture.

Want to discover more pastry cream extra flavorings? Read the post for French pastry cream to create your own recipe variations.

How to make crème légère

Creme Legere is made in three simple steps, including preparing the vanilla pastry cream base, making whipped cream, and adding whipped cream to the pastry cream.

Make pastry cream or creamy custard

In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar with a balloon whisk until they foam (photo 1). Then add cornstarch and whisk again.

Split the vanilla pod into two halves lengthwise and scrape the seeds using a sharp knife. 

In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, bring milk, scraped vanilla seeds, and vanilla pod to a boil. Then remove the milk mixture from the heat, cover it with a lid, and leave it to infuse for 30 minutes.

Remove the vanilla pod from the milk, and pour it gradually over the blanched egg mixture, constantly mixing with the whisk (photo 2).

Transfer the preparation back into the saucepan, then heat it over low or low-medium heat, whisking constantly. The cream will gradually thicken (it usually takes about 30 seconds to 2 minutes).

Look for "streaks" on the surface of the thickening cream: they are a sign of the cream's readiness (photo 3).

Pro tip: Don't use high heat to prevent the burning of the cream. Also, continue stirring to avoid sticking the custard to the bottom of the pan.

Pass the thickened cream through a fine-mesh sieve to remove possible lumps. Add butter in small cubes and mix well. Then pour the cream into a shallow dish to cool.

Cover the dish with cling film against the surface of the cream (in contact) to prevent skin formation (photo 4).

Leave it to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for a few hours, even overnight, if you plan to finish the creme legere later.

Whip heavy cream

Place the bowl of a stand mixer and the whisk attachment in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Pour very cold cream into the chilled bowl and whip cream at medium speed into soft peaks (photo 5).

Pro tip: The goal is to incorporate the air into the whipped cream but not reach stiff peaks. Try to avoid high speed with whipping the cream.

Read about the whipping technique and how to make perfect whipped cream.

Combine pastry and whipped cream

Using the hand whisk, whip the pastry cream for 20 seconds to loosen it. Add ¼ of the whipped cream into the pastry cream and gently mix with a rubber spatula.

Then add the remaining whipped cream and gently fold, working in the same direction and lifting the cream from the bottom up (photo 6).

Place the ready cream in a piping bag with a decorating tip and use it immediately. Or reserve it in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Expert Tips

1. Add a little sugar to the empty saucepan to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
2. Cook the pastry cream over low heat, stirring it constantly to prevent burning.
3. Cover the pastry cream with a piece of plastic wrap in contact to prevent skin formation on the cream's surface.
4. Use an electric mixer to whisk the heavy cream if a stand mixer is unavailable.
5. For flavor variations, check the post above.
6. Make ahead option: Prepare the pastry cream in the evening and refrigerate overnight. The next day, finish the creme legere.

Storing and freezing

Store creme Legere in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Don't keep cakes or other cream-filled pastries at room temperature for longer than 30 minutes.

Freezing creme legere is not advisable as it compromises its texture. But you can freeze cakes, cupcakes, or other pastries with legere cream. Used in desserts, you can freeze it for up to 1 month.

How to use Crème Légère

With vanilla light creme, the dessert options become endless, from fluffy cakes and cupcakes to creamy pies and tarts. It is used to

• garnish a "Number Cake;"
• fill and decorate a layered sponge cake and cupcakes;
• garnish Mille feuille and Tarte Tropezienne;
• fill choux pastries such as chouquettes, choux a la cream, and eclaires;
• make a verine dessert with fresh fruit or fresh fruit tarts;
• use it instead of the crème mousseline or whipped chocolate ganache.

Troubleshooting

If you have any issues with the pastry cream, consult the troubleshooting section of the French pastry cream recipe.

For questions about how to make whipped cream and troubleshooting, refer to the sugar-free whipped cream recipe.

FAQ

Love cream frosting recipes? Try these next!

• Homemade Whipped cream
• Diplomat Cream
• Mousseline Cream
• Creme Chiboust
• Chocolate Whipped Cream
• Chantilly Cream
• Chocolate Whipped Ganache
• Bavarian Cream

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.