V. says: I love chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream. I have tried without success to come up with a vanilla frosting that taste very much like vanilla ice cream. I then thought about a vanilla mousse which is probably as close to vanilla ice cream as I probably will come. I have tried several of the vanilla mousse recipes online, but they leave a lot to be desired in taste and creaminess. I am looking for a vanilla mousse that uses cooked egg yolks and heavy whipping cream. Do you have a recipe that I can try or can you point me in a direction?
Baking S.O.S. says: I looked at a number of vanilla mousse recipes on-line, as well, and I saw nothing that looked appealing or feasible as a frosting for cake.
I think what you are looking for is basically Creme Anglaise (English custard sauce) lightened with whipped cream. I made a similar frosting for my own wedding cake, though I used the Creme Anglaise as a base for traditional buttercream, which holds up better than whipped cream.
Still, I have decorate plenty of cakes using just Chantilly Cream (sweetened whipped cream flavored with vanilla), and it is delicious–it just doesn’t hold up well unless refrigerated.
I would suggest that you use Chantilly Cream OR try making Creme Anglaise, then fold in whipped cream to make a frosting. Recipes for each follow:
Chantilly Cream
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
In a well-chilled, large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract together on high speed until soft peaks form in the mixture.
Makes enough cream for one average-size cake or pastry recipe.
Crème Anglaise
Ingredients:
Half and half 8 ounces
Granulated sugar ½ Cup
Egg yolks 6
Vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
Directions:
1. Place the half and half in a small saucepan and bring just below a boil. It should produce steam and very tiny bubbles around the outer edge of the pan.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the sugar and egg yolks together in a medium stainless steel bowl.
3. When the half and half is scalded, slowly whisk it into the sugar-egg yolk mixture a little at a time.
4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thickened. The sauce should coat the back of the wooden spoon. * Be careful not to over-cook the sauce or it will curdle!
5. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a stainless steel bowl set over an ice bath (a larger pan of ice & water).
6. Refrigerate sauce until ready to use.
* After the Creme Anglaise has chilled completely, whip 2 cups of heavy cream to soft peaks and fold gently into the sauce. If desired, add a little granulated sugar to the heavy cream as you are beating it–before folding the whipped cream into the sauce.