Bavarian Cream Donut is a type of filled doughnut made with soft, puffy fried dough filled with vanilla pastry cream and then dusted with powdered sugar. Bavarian donuts have powdered sugar, while Boston cream donuts have chocolate frosting.
What Is a Bavarian Cream Donut?
Bavarian donuts are a special kind of filled doughnut that is dusted with powdered sugar and created from a fried, airy dough filled with vanilla pastry cream. The traditional German dessert called “Bayrische Creme” is quite similar to the Italian Panna Cotta; both are made with milk, eggs, sugar, and cream, thickened with gelatin, and typically served in molds.
We used a less-complicated vanilla pastry cream in this recipe. Because of how easy it is to put together, you can do it right at home. These handmade snacks would be a hit with the whole family. Enjoy it as a sweet treat or a snack with your morning coffee.
Steps For Making Bavarian Cream Donuts
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First, put the flour, dry yeast, kosher salt, and sugar into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Using a spoon, mix the ingredients.
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Mix the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla essence, brandy or vodka, and milk to room temperature in step 2. Continue mixing on low until a dough forms.
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Third, boost the mixer’s speed to medium and mix the dough for 8 minutes until it is completely smooth and silky.
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In the fourth step, the dough is in a covered bowl for one to two hours at room temperature or until it has doubled in size (or even tripled in size).
How to Make the Doughnut Dough?
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First, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, sugar, yeast, rum, lemon zest, vanilla, and eggs. Then, stir in the flour, salt, and nutmeg powder for the dry ingredients. The yeast must be kept away from the salt, so it doesn’t die.
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But if you keep kneading it for another 5-10 minutes, the dough will smooth out, become more elastic, and pull away from the basin’s edges.
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Don’t panic if the dough seems to be falling as we add the butter, and the butter seems to be sticking to the sides of the basin.
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The dough will “accept” the butter and turn into a gloppy mass. Still, have faith in the procedure.
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After adding all the butter, continue kneading for another 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and no longer adhering to the basin’s edges.
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Put the dough in an oiled basin, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it prove in the fridge for 12-18 hours. After rising, the dough will be twice as big.
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Deflate the dough by punching it down and placing it on a lightly floured surface once it’s ready. Form the dough into doughnuts after a quick kneading. The balls are always between 60 and 65 g, and I measure them using a kitchen scale.
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Set aside for about 3 hours to nearly treble in volume. They are ready to be eaten after you can press one gently with a finger and see the indentation remain.
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The doughnuts need only a few minutes in the deep fryer on each side to get a perfect golden color.
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The doughnut’s top should go into the oil first. In this way, the bottom (the side contacting the baking paper square) becomes the top and is queued up for its turn in the oil.
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Cool slightly before rolling in sugar and filling, and transfer to a wire rack or dish lined with paper towels.
Tips for Making Bavarian Cream Donuts
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When creating dough or baking cakes, it is essential to weigh the flour using kitchen scales.
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This dough should stay soft and slightly sticky but still workable, so resist the urge to add more flour. It’s best to wait for the dough to come together independently since the gluten developed during kneading will make handling it easier. Extra flour will make the doughnuts tough and dry.
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In theory, quick yeast doesn’t need to be activated, but active dry yeast must. I usually do this, even when using quick yeast, to check if the yeast is still active. I may waste a lot of time and ingredients if I just throw them into the dough without testing it first.
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It’s time to make a 180-degree turn. Repeat the process three to four times to achieve a perfectly smooth ball.
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Make careful to cook the pastry cream filling over low to medium heat and often whisk to avoid a lumpy texture.
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Always use caution while working with oil at any temperature. Keep the doughnuts at a safe distance, and don’t chuck them in. Bring them down to ground level. Use the tongs or the slotted spoon if you don’t want to risk getting your hand dirty.
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Don’t cram too many onto the pan; the doughnuts need room to rise and expand. Further, the oil temperature will decrease as additional dough balls are added.
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Take the donuts out of the oil using a slotted spoon. Use a slotted spoon to remove excess oil from the doughnuts.
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To fill the doughnut’s center with pastry cream, I use a cream puff nozzle, a long, thin piping nozzle. You can feel it pushing out when you smoke a pipe. When you let it do that, you’ll have filled it.
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Eat all the pastry cream: It’s important to utilize all the filling so that the doughnuts are properly stuffed.
Ingredients of Bavarian Cream Donut
| Ingredients | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Flour | I use plain flour/all-purpose flour yields a nice balance of chewiness and tenderness. If you want your donuts chewier, use bread flour for some of the all-purpose. |
| Yeast | Use instant dry yeast if you want to make this dish. Active dried yeast can be substituted for fresh yeast in the same quantity; however, step one must always be completed. |
| Sugar | For this recipe, you’ll need caster sugar (superfine sugar). You can rule out powdered sugar. |
| Salt | Adding a little salt to your dish can bring out the flavor. |
| Milk | If you want the finest flavor and texture, use full-fat milk. |
| Eggs | I use organic, big free-range eggs. |
| Butter | We use butter to get the desired level of richness; the dough is “enriched” or made with extra fat. Put in unsalted butter. |
| Nutmeg | A little nutmeg goes a long way toward making those doughnuts seem homier. |
| Vanilla | We ask that you use just vanilla paste or extract. Avoid using essence, which is artificially flavored. |
| Cornstarch | Cornflour, sometimes known as cornstarch in some countries, is used as a thickener. The filling is thickened with this extremely fine flour. |
FAQs
Some related questions are given below:
1 - How long will the donuts last?
Stored in an airtight container, the doughnuts will stay fresh for about two days at room temperature.
2 - Can you tell me when the dough has proofed sufficiently to use?
The dough should rise to at least double its original size each time. When pressed, it should gently bounce back, leaving a little indentation. The dough needs extra time to rise if it springs back rapidly after being pressed. Bread that lacks any bounce after being pressed flat may have been over-proofed.
3 - Can I prepare them ahead of time?
These are best prepared the day they will be served. They taste best when cooked 5-6 hours ahead of time. Donuts and Bavarian cream may both be made ahead of time. Donuts should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, while cream should be kept in the fridge. Before serving, fill them up.
4 - Are they oven-safe?
Yes, just warm the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, then bake the doughnuts for approximately 5 minutes or until they are gently golden.
5 - How many donuts does this recipe make?
Donuts may be made in a standard muffin tin, and the recipe yields around 12. Altering their size is a simple matter.
6 - Are bavarian cream fillings the only ones that will work, or may I use others?
Yes! It’s all fair game. You may easily transform a bavarian-filled donut into a sufganiyah by filling it with raspberry jelly or jam. Donuts may be filled with everything from raspberry jam to chocolate ganache to Nutella. It’s perfect for when you want to treat yourself to a handmade doughnut but can’t bear to buy some.
7 - How can I make chocolate bavarian cream donuts?
After the pastry cream has chilled and thickened, stir in 1 to 2 ounces (28 to 56 grams) of melted chocolate.
8 - When frying doughnuts, what sort of oil should I use?
My top picks are oils with a smoke point above 400 degrees Fahrenheit and a neutral taste (204C). Canola oil, sunflower oil, and vegetable oil are what I often use.
9 - Can I flavor the Bavarian Cream?
Yes! Bavarian cream goes well with 1/4 to 1/2 cups of Nutella, cookie butter, or peanut butter. Pastry cream benefits from adding two tablespoons of cocoa powder to the egg yolk and sugar. Cream that has been whipped can be flavored with the zest and juice of half a lemon or 1–2 teaspoons of any essence. I like to use one teaspoon of vanilla extract, one teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, or 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla powder made from dried vanilla pods while making vanilla cream.
10 - Are doughnuts air fryer-friendly?
The answer is yes; these donuts can be air fried. You should use a lot of canola or vegetable oil to lubricate the air fryer’s basket. Put four dough rounds in the air fryer’s basket and grease or butter them.
Conclusion
After the doughnuts have been formed, lay them on a baking sheet lined with small pieces of wax or parchment paper. You need to give them room to expand without colliding when they reach the top. Protect the dough from the air and let it rise again. At cooking time, carefully pull or slide the paper into the oil. The paper will separate from the dough as it cooks, making cleanup a breeze.
In this method, the risen dough won’t deflate as much as usual throughout the process of being transferred to the oil. Check the expiration date on your yeast. To determine if your yeast is still active, combine one teaspoon of dried yeast with 1/4 cup of room temperature water and let it sit for 10 minutes; if the liquid contains bubbles and the yeast has puffed up, the yeast is still okay to use.