How To Fix Clumpy Bavarian Cream
If you're looking for a new dessert to impress your guests with, Bavarian cream may be the answer. This decadent dessert is typically only made with a few basic ingredients (milk, egg yolks, sugar, gelatin, whipped cream, and vanilla). It can be enjoyed in either a nice serving glass and eaten as is, or it can make a great pastry or cake filling. However you prefer to indulge in this rich dessert, its velvety texture is sure to keep you coming back to it time and time again.
Like other similar desserts, such as mousses and custards, it does have a reputation of being high maintenance to make. While there are shortcuts, like our recipe, which only uses instant vanilla pudding powder and heavy whipping cream, the traditional way may lead to a few challenges, especially for newer at-home chefs. And, if you just can't seem to perfect that ideal smooth texture, you're not alone.
Bavarian cream can easily become filled with undesirable lumps, but there is a quick fix for this common problem.
Use a sieve
If the fruits of your labor have turned unpleasantly clumpy, you may have cooked the custard part of the cream with too much heat. This is a common error, and that silky consistency is still achievable with just a couple easy steps.
The egg yolks in the custard can easily start to curdle if they are cooked at too high of a temperature, leading to plenty of small lumps. The easiest way to remove the lumps is to pour the mixture through a small strainer, such as a basic sieve. The largest chunks will definitely be removed, and most of the smaller ones should be caught as well.
If this doesn't work, you may have the urge to simply blend the entire mixture. We recommend against this as too much air can get incorporated into the cream with a classic blender. However, you can pulse the mixture with a handheld or immersion blender on a low speed until it's smooth. This should take less than a minute to achieve and in no time, your hopeless dessert will turn into confection perfection.