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Mock Cream

Asked on 3 May 2016 by kah22

Lindsey, I confess I have a sweet tooth!!

I sometimes buy pastries from local bakeries and some of those contain what you might call 'mock cream,' 'artificial cream,' I just don't know the proper term. The type used to fill the likes of eclairs

However, when I make my sponge and such like I use a basic buttercream but there always seems to be that little bit of graininess left no matter how long, or at what speed I mix. I want to take my pastry cream to the next level, to obtain that bakery shop mock-artificial cream look and taste

So I carried out an Internet search and found several recipes: the most popular been adding a little water and milk to your buttercream. Another added cornflou and yet another used gelatine. But I can't imagine this.

Lindsey can you tell me what is the recipe for that bakery shop mock cream. I don't want to be making batches of the stuff just to dump it!

As always many thanks for your help.

Kevin

Lindsey, Food Editor replied

Hello Kevin,

I’m not sure what the bakers make.

I think nowadays it’s either fresh cream or crème patisserie, but an aunt gave me a cookery book that was published in 1950 and it includes this recipe for mock cream

2oz butter, 2oz caster sugar, 30ml boiling water, 15ml cold milk & vanilla extract

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the boiling water a little at a time followed by the milk a little at a time, then the vanilla extract.

I remember doing this in cookery at school but that was a very long time ago!

Best wishes

Lindsey