Chocolate cremeux

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Decadent, with a rich chocolate flavor and incredibly smooth texture, this chocolate cremeux can be used as a cake filling, tart filling, or piped on top of your favorite desserts as a decoration.

A silver spoon holds a dollop of chocolate cremeux, with a bowl of the cream in the background.

Jump to:

What is cremeux
Why you should try this dark chocolate cremeux recipe
Ingredients you will need
Cooking tips
Step by step instructions
Troubleshooting
Possible applications
Flavor variations
FAQ
More dessert recipes you may like
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What is cremeux

Chocolate crémeux is a rich and velvety chocolate dessert with a smooth consistency. It's made by blending high-quality chocolate with a mixture known as creme Anglaise, which includes egg yolks, or sometimes whole eggs, sugar, milk, and cream. This cream can be enjoyed on its own or used as a filling for cakes and tarts.

Why you should try this dark chocolate cremeux recipe

One of the tastiest chocolate creams out there! I dare to say that it’s even better than Chocolate ganache.
It has so many applications. From using it as a filling and frosting for my Chocolate fudge cake to using it to fill your Profiteroles, the possibilities are endless with this recipe.
Adjustable stability. This recipe is perfect as a filling and you can even use it as a frosting for a cake that won’t be standing for too long in a hot room. If you want a more stable cream you can experiment by adding a bit more chocolate.

Are you looking for more delicious chocolate dessert recipes? If so, be sure to check out these Double Chocolate Cookies, Chocolate Ice Cream, or this irresistible Chocolate Mousse Cake.

Ingredients you will need

Semi-sweet chocolate – Avoid replacing it with white or milk chocolate.
Egg yolks – If you're wondering what to do with leftover egg whites, consider trying one of my desserts: Meringue cookies, Chocolate pavlova, Mini pavlova, or Coconut macaroons.
White granulated sugar
Salt – A simple ingredient that significantly improves the flavor. Don't skip it!
Whole milk
Heavy whipping cream
Instant coffee – Don't worry if you're not a coffee fan; you won't detect a strong coffee flavor. I use it to enhance the chocolate flavor.

The top of the cake is decorated with chocolate cream piped elements and fresh raspberries.

Cooking tips

Whisk the egg yolks with sugar until pale. It’s very important to whisk the egg yolks with sugar right after you add both into a bowl. The reason is that the sugar will draw the moisture from the egg yolks, if left unwhipped, which will create lumps of dehydrated yolk that you won’t be able to break with a whisk later.
Temper the egg yolk and sugar mixture. When combining the hot milk and cream with the egg yolk mixture, it's crucial to temper the eggs gradually. This means adding a small amount of the hot liquid to the eggs while whisking continuously before incorporating the rest. This helps prevent the eggs from scrambling and ensures a smooth, velvety texture.
Strain your crème Anglaise. Strain the egg yolk custard through a fine-mesh strainer after cooking and before combining it with the chocolate. This step helps remove any potential lumps or bits of cooked egg, resulting in a silky-smooth and creamy texture in your chocolate cremeux.
Allow your chocolate cremeux to set in the fridge. Same as with Chocolate ganache, chocolate cremeux needs time to stabilize in the fridge before using it. You will need to wait a minimum of 6 hours if you’re planning to use this cream as a cake filling or if you want to pipe it on top of a dessert. If you want to use it as a tart filling, you will need to cool down the mixture to room temperature, fill your tart shells with it, and place it into a fridge to stabilize further.
Cover with plastic wrap so it touches the mixture. Covering the chocolate cremeux with plastic wrap so that it directly touches the surface helps prevent the formation of skin as it cools. This ensures that your cremeux maintains a smooth texture. It's a common technique in pastry to preserve the quality and appearance of custards and creamy desserts.

Step by step instructions

Place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a heat-proof bowl, add the egg yolks, sugar and salt. Whip until the mixture turns into a pale yellow color and fluffy. Set aside.
Into a saucepan, add the milk, heavy cream, and instant coffee. Heat the mixture until it starts simmering.
Slowly, pour the hot milk with cream into the bowl with eggs and sugar while whisking continuously to prevent egg yolks from curdling.

A collage image shows how to make creme Anglaise for chocolate cremeux in 6 steps.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook it over low heat stirring continuously until the mixture reaches 179F (82C). It will take approximately 10 minutes.
When done, pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl with the chocolate.
Mix until all chocolate has melted and the mixture is glossy and has a smooth and homogenous consistency.
Cover with plastic wrap so it touches the entire surface of the chocolate cremeux.
Refrigerate for 6 hours or better overnight!

A collage image shows how to make chocolate cremeux in 6 steps.

Troubleshooting

Grainy texture

Underwhipping egg yolks. As I mentioned previously, leaving egg yolks sitting with sugar in a bowl without whipping them together can lead to the formation of dehydrated lumps of egg yolk. These lumps won’t disappear after cooking the egg yolk mixture with cream and milk. The texture will be grainy, so to avoid it, whip your egg yolks very well.
Overcooking the custard. With this recipe, undercooking is better than overcooking! Ideally, you want to cook crème Anglaise to 179F (82C) but cooking to a slightly lower temperature is also okay. If you overcook the custard, however, and the temperature surpasses 183F (84C), the egg yolks will scramble and your cream will have a grainy texture.
Problems with emulsification. Make sure that your cooked egg yolk mixture emulsifies with chocolate well, until it has a very shiny and smooth look. Using an immersion blender will speed up the process.

The cream is too runny

Using a different type of chocolate. This recipe is for dark/semi-sweet chocolate only. If you replace it with white chocolate, your cremeux will turn out runny.
Not weighing ingredients correctly. The ratio of the chocolate to egg yolks to liquids is crucial for the right consistency. Invest in a digital kitchen scale instead of relying on cup measurements!
Insufficient cooling time. If the cream is too runny, it may not have had adequate time to sit in the refrigerator.

A glass bowl filled with silky chocolate cream.

Possible applications

Chocolate fudge cake – You can go ahead and check out how I created this stunning-looking Chocolate fudge cake using my chocolate cremeux recipe.
Instead of chocolate mousse – You might don’t know, but cremeux can be enjoyed on its own, just like this Chocolate mousse. You can pour still runny chocolate cream (at room temperature) into ramekins and refrigerate until completely set. Decorate with fresh berries, mint, whipped cream, and cocoa powder, and serve.
Pipe it to decorate other desserts – This cream is soft but you can pipe small decorative elements on top of desserts with it. To make chocolate cremeux more stable to use it with star piping nozzles, you should make it more stable by adding a bit more chocolate.

Flavor variations

Enhance your egg custard by giving it an extra kick with cinnamon, chili powder, orange zest, mint, or other flavors before combining it with chocolate. You can also opt for a classic touch by using vanilla extract. After cooking your custard with the chosen flavoring, remember to strain it through a fine mesh strainer to remove any remaining spices or bits of flavoring. This simple step ensures a consistently smooth and delicious custard every time.

FAQ

How to store chocolate cremeux?

You can store it in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 4 days.

Can you freeze it?

Freezing and then thawing chocolate cremeux can ruin the texture, so no, I do not recommend freezing it.

Can you make it with plant-based milk and cream?

Unfortunately, you can’t just replace ingredients in this recipe ,as it will change the texture of the final cream. For a plant-based version, you need to search a specific recipe that is built around plant-based ingredients.

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