This is our celebration cake; we eat it in France at weddings, but also at christenings and first communion. These special cakes are made of caramelized choux filled with vanilla crème pâtissière, and decorated with sugared almonds. Some also have a nougatine base and they come in all kinds of shapes.
Ingredients
- 1.8 kg crème pâtissière
- 700 g choux pastry
- 100 g sugared almonds
For the caramel
- 500 g caster sugar
- 150 ml water
How to Make It
- Make the crème pâtissière and rest in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Make the choux pastry following the method up to step 6. On 2 non-stick baking trays, pipe it into domes 3 cm in diameter, in staggered rows, keeping 4 cm between them to allow them to spread. The crème pâtissière and the choux can be made the day before. The choux must then be flashed in the oven for 2 minutes at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 before use.
- In a large bowl, whisk the crème pâtissière and fill a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle. The piping bag will be easier to handle if it’s only half filled with cream.
- With the knife tip, make a hole at the bottom of each choux and fill with crème pâtissière.
- Oil the outside of a 20 cm bowl and turn it upside down on a work surface covered with baking paper. This will act as a guide when building the first layer of choux.
- The caramel will need to be warmed up one or twice during the process.
- Build the first layer of choux. The bottom of the choux must be in contact with the bowl. With one hand, hold the first choux against the bowl and dip the side of a second choux into the caramel with the other hand. Stick them to each other on one side. Dip the side of a third choux into the caramel and stick it to the second one on its other side. Repeat this step with as many choux as you need to complete the first layer.
- Remove the bowl and finish off the croquembouche by making some smaller layers of caramelized choux, placed on top of each other, following the steps below.
- Build the second layer of choux. Dip the side of the first choux into the caramel and stick it slightly on the inside of the bottom layer, between 2 choux. The caramel will set almost instantly. Dip half of the side of the second choux and stick it to the bottom layer and the first choux from the second layer. Repeat this step with as many choux as needed to complete the second layer.
- Repeat step 9 until the croquembouche is complete.
- Decorate with sugared almonds dipped in the caramel.
