Bavarian Cream Donut Recipe (2024)

Freshly made Bavarian cream donuts are at their prime within the first day or two. That's when they're at their peak of softness and creamy dreaminess. If you plan to gobble them up within that two-day window, just keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.

However, if life gets in the way and you need to store them longer – say, up to a week – then it's a good idea to pop them in the fridge. The cool temperature helps keep that delightful Bavarian cream fresh and safe to eat.

At its core, Bavarian cream is a luscious custard-like dessert that's been elevated to dessert stardom. The result is something akin to a luxurious cloud of creamy goodness.

It's not too sweet, has a hint of vanilla, and is incredibly versatile. You can enjoy it as a filling for pastries like those fabulous Bavarian cream donuts, use it to layer cakes, or even savor it on its own in all its creamy glory on a slice of chocolate chip brioche.

Crafted by seamlessly folding whipped cream into a velvety, vanilla-infused custard, Bavarian cream strikes a balance between lightness and rich flavor. This culinary gem, known for its subtlety and restrained sweetness, often takes center stage as a sought-after pastry filling or an exquisite addition to elegant desserts.

Now, let's talk about custard – the timeless classic in the realm of creamy indulgence. With its silken texture and comforting, rich taste, custard graces a multitude of classic desserts, from the grandeur of crème brûlée to the simplicity of rice pudding.

And then there's Boston cream, the charismatic contender in this trio of delights. It's a unique dessert that stars creamy vanilla pastry cream (a close relative of custard) sandwiched between layers of tender vanilla sponge cake, all crowned with a glossy cascade of chocolate ganache.

5 from 3 votes

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Resting and Proofing Time: 18 hours hours

Total Time: 19 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Author: Emily Laurae

Brioche Donuts

• ▢ ¾ Cup (175 g) Warm Water
• ▢ ¼ Cup (50 g) Granulated Sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Active dry yeast
• ▢ 3 ¾ Cup (500 g) All-Purpose flour
• ▢ 3 Large Eggs
• ▢ 1 ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ ⅓ Cup + 1 Tbsp (100 g) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• ▢ 2 liters Palm or Canola oil, for frying
• ▢ Granulated Sugar , for coating fried doughnuts

Bavarian Cream

• ▢ 1 Tablespoon (11 g) Gelatin
• ▢ ⅓ Cup (75 g) Cold Water
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 4 Egg Yolks
• ▢ ¼ Cup + 1 Tablespoon (65 g) Granulated Sugar
• ▢ 1 Cup (250) Whole Milk
• ▢ 1 Cup (250 g) Heavy Whipping Cream

Brioche Donuts

• Mix together the warm water, sugar and yeast together in your stand mixer’s mixing bowl. Let this mixture rest undisturbed for 5-10 minutes until you start to see bubbles start to form on the surface.

  ¾ Cup Warm Water, ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar, 1 teaspoon Active dry yeast

• Add your flour, and eggs to the active yeast mixture using the paddle attachment. After one minute of mixing on medium speed, the ingredients should be well combined. At this point, switch to using the dough hook attachment and knead for 6-8 minutes before adding salt and butter one tablespoon at a time. Continue kneading with the dough hook for another 5-8 minutes until the dough looks smooth and glossy and you notice that the dough is not sticking to the sides of the bowl and has passed the window pane test (shown in the video in this recipe card). This means that your dough has been well developed and we can stop mixing.

  3 ¾ Cup All-Purpose flour, 3 Large Eggs, 1 ¼ teaspoon Salt, ⅓ Cup + 1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter

• Place the dough in an oiled bowl and allow to proof for 1.5 to 2 hours covered in plastic wrap. You’re looking for the dough to have about doubled in size before moving on to the next step. If your kitchen tends to run quite cold, try to find a warm spot to leave the dough for this resting period. Then, remove the plastic wrap, and degas the dough by punching it down before recovering and placing in the fridge overnight. This overnight rest of about 12-14 hours is essential in order to develop flavor as the dough continues to ferment slowly within low temperatures.

• After the dough has rested overnight – it’s time to start shaping! Divide your dough using a sharp knife or a bench scraper into 65 gram even pieces. Gently degas each piece by pressing on top of the ball with the heel of your hand before forming into a tight boule. Place each piece of dough onto a parchment lined baking tray where the parchment has been lightly sprayed with baking spray and cover with plastic wrap that has also been sprayed ( so the plastic wrap doesn't stick to the dough). Let the dough sit undisturbed in a warm spot to proof until they have doubled in size for about 1.5-2 hours.

• Approximately twenty minutes before the doughnuts have finished their final proof, it’s time to start heating your frying oil! Grab a large Dutch oven or your preferred container for frying. Add the oil, ensuring that you have at least 3 inches of height from the bottom of the Dutch oven to the top of the oil. Turning the stove on medium high, heat the oil to 340° F. Place your sugar in a bowl to the side of your frying station along with a plate/cooling rack lined with paper towels.

  2 liters Palm or Canola oil

• I always do a “test” doughnut before moving on to the remaining doughnuts. Fry the test doughnut for 2-3 minutes on each side before removing from the oil with a slotted spoon and placing on a cooling rack lined with paper towels. Then, coat in sugar before letting cool completely. You can also check for doneness by taking an internal temperature of the doughnuts - they should reach an internal temperature of about 185°F when they're fully cooked through! Continue this process by gently dropping three to four pieces of proofed dough into the oil at a time, making sure not to crowd the doughnuts too much! Make sure to check the temperature of the oil after each batch, in case you need to reheat the oil back to 340° F.

  Granulated Sugar

Bavarian Cream

• Add gelatin, cold water, and vanilla extract together - allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes while you start the creme anglaise.

  1 Tablespoon Gelatin, ⅓ Cup Cold Water, 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

• Add the granulated sugar and egg yolks into a bowl and whisk until you reach a pale yellow color.

  4 Egg Yolks, ¼ Cup + 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar

• Add warmed milk to egg mixture and heat ingredients gently over a bain-marie until you’ve reached no more than 180°F - take off the heat and add gelatin mixture, whisking until completely combined before passing through a mesh strainer.

  1 Cup Whole Milk

• Allow the mixture to cool in an ice bath in the fridge for about 45 minutes until the base has thickened, but is not fully set.

• Whip heavy cream to medium peaks then fold the whipped cream into the base until the cream is smooth. If it looks a bit lumpy, that's completely fine - just continue whisking by hand or an electric mixture until it is smooth. Place the cream in the fridge where it will continue to thicken. Before using the bavarian cream, whisk vigorously again to ensure that you have an extra smooth texture!

  1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Assembling Doughnuts

• Fill a piping bag with your bavarian cream. Pierce the doughnut with a piping tip then fill the center of the doughnut with the bavarian cream. You did it - enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Eat ‘em while they’re fresh! Technically, you can store doughnuts in an air-tight container in a dry, cool space for up to three days. This being said, I would highly recommend baking and enjoying these bavarian cream doughnuts rather promptly after frying! Doughnuts are best straight from the fryer as they can dry out quite quickly.
• Don’t forget to proof your yeast. If the yeast/water/sugar mixture doesn’t start bubbling and foaming within 10-15 minutes, your yeast is dead. Don’t make the mistake of forging ahead anyway; the brioche dough will end up hard as a rock.
• DON’T skip the overnight rest. The dough continues to ferment slowly overnight within the low temperatures, which is essential to developing flavor.
• Use a thermometer to consistently check the oil’s temperature. It can rise and lower as you move through the frying process. Keep a close eye on the temperature to ensure it stays at 345ºF for even and consistent doughnuts.
• Be prepared before you start frying! After the second rise, this recipe moves quickly, so have your thermometer, a plate lined with paper towels, and your sugar coating ready before you begin frying.