Gateau Saint Honoré: How to Make the French Classic

This impressive dessert, named after the patron saint of pastry chefs, features a base of puff pastry topped with choux pastry, filled with both vanilla and caramel creme diplomat, and adorned with caramel-glazed choux buns. 

I’m a big believer that classic recipes shouldn’t be forgotten, but rather celebrated. And before diving into the world of dessert creation, I have decided to master some of the classics

In revisiting the basics, I made this Gateau St. Honoré. This cake has always fascinated me, with its flaky base, choux ring, caramel, and pastry cream. Initially, it seemed daunting, but breaking it down into manageable elements made it so much easier.

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Gateau Saint Honoré is a historical cake named after Saint Honore, the patron saint of French pastry chefs, and the recipe is nearly two centuries old. It’s made with puff pastry or shortcut pastry and choux pastry, filled with pastry cream, and glued together with caramelized sugar. The center is filled with pastry cream, chiboust cream, or creme mousseline. I used a mix of classic vanilla pastry cream and caramel pastry cream to complement the sugar glaze. The final cake was delicate, milky, and each slice felt like proper comfort food – while at the same time being visually super-impressive

How to Make French Gateau Saint Honoré

Prepare the Choux Pastry

1. Combine Ingredients: In a saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar. Place over low heat until the butter is melted.
2. Boil: Once the butter is completely melted, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
3. Add Flour: As soon as it boils, remove from heat and add flour all at once. Mix well until the flour is absorbed.
4. Cook Dough: Return the saucepan to medium heat, cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes until a layer of dough forms on the bottom of the pan.
5. Cool: Remove from heat and let the dough cool for 10 minutes.
6. Incorporate Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is smooth and forms a streak when you run your finger through it.
7. Pipe Dough: Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a round nozzle.

Prepare the Puff Pastry

8. Roll Puff Pastry: Roll out the sheet of puff pastry to a 0.5 cm thickness.
9. Cut and Pipe: Cut a 20 cm diameter circle and place it on a baking tray. Pipe a circle of choux pastry around the edge and pipe the remaining choux pastry into small dollops on a separate tray.
10. Bake: Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool.

Vanilla Creme Diplomat

11. Bloom Gelatin: Bloom the gelatin in cold water.
12. Heat Milk: Heat milk in a pot over low heat.
13. Mix Yolks and Sugar: In a bowl, mix egg yolks, sugar, and salt until creamy.
14. Add Cornstarch: Mix in the cornstarch.
15. Cook Cream: Pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, then return to the pot and cook until thickened. Add gelatin and cool completely.
16. Mix Cream: Once chilled, mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Add vanilla, mascarpone, and fold in whipped cream.
17. Pipe Cream: Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a St. Honore nozzle.

Caramel Creme Diplomat

18. Bloom Gelatin: Bloom the gelatin in cold water for at least 10 minutes.
19. Cook Caramel: Combine 80 g sugar with water in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns amber. Cool slightly, add milk, and heat until dissolved.
20. Mix Yolks and Sugar: Mix egg yolks, remaining sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add cornstarch and mix well.
21. Cook Cream: Pour the hot caramel milk into the egg mixture, return to heat, and cook until thickened. Add gelatin and cool.
22. Mix Cream: Once chilled, mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Fold in whipped cream.

Assemble the Gateau

23. Fill Choux Buns: Make a hole at the bottom of each choux bun and fill with caramel creme diplomat.
24. Caramelize Buns: Make a wet caramel with 150 g sugar and 65 ml water. Dip the tops of the filled buns and place on baking paper. Reheat caramel if it thickens and dip the bottom of each bun, gluing them to the puff pastry ring.
25. Fill and Decorate: Fill the bottom of the gateau with remaining caramel creme diplomat, then top with vanilla creme diplomat using the St. Honore nozzle. Decorate with choux buns and caramel strings before serving.

Recipe Notes

• Dough Consistency: Ensure the choux dough is not too runny. Adjust the number of eggs as necessary.
• Caramel Handling: Be cautious when working with hot caramel to avoid burns.
• Cooling: Allow all components to cool completely before assembling to maintain structure.

Gateau Saint Honoré: How to Make the French Classic

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• Author: Oana Olguta
• Total Time: 2.5 hours
• Yield: Serves 10-12 1x

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Description

This impressive dessert features a base of puff pastry topped with choux pastry, filled with both vanilla and caramel creme diplomat, and adorned with caramel-glazed choux buns.

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Ingredients

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Choux Pastry:

• 5 fluid ounces (150 ml) water
• 3.4 fluid ounces (100 ml) whole milk
• 3.5 ounces (100 g) butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 5.3 ounces (150 g) bread flour
• 4–5 eggs

Vanilla Creme Diplomat:

• 10 fluid ounces (300 ml) whole milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 4.2 ounces (120 g) white sugar
• 1 ounce (30 g) cornstarch
• 1 pinch salt
• 0.14 ounces (4 g) gelatin + 0.67 fluid ounces (20 ml) cold water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1.7 ounces (50 g) mascarpone cream
• 5 fluid ounces (150 ml) heavy cream, whipped

Caramel Creme Diplomat:

• 10.1 fluid ounces (300 ml) whole milk
• 2.82 ounces (80 g) white sugar + 1.35 fluid ounces (40 ml) water
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 ounce (30 g) white sugar
• 1 ounce (30 g) cornstarch
• 1 pinch salt
• 0.14 ounces (4 g) gelatin + 0.67 fluid ounces (20 ml) cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon Amaretto
• 5 fluid ounces (150 ml) heavy cream, whipped

Additional Ingredients:

• 1 sheet puff pastry (homemade or store bought)
• 5.3 ounces (150 g) sugar to caramelize

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Instructions

Prepare the Choux Pastry

1. Combine Ingredients: In a saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar. Place over low heat until the butter is melted.
2. Boil: Once the butter is completely melted, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
3. Add Flour: As soon as it boils, remove from heat and add flour all at once. Mix well until the flour is absorbed.
4. Cook Dough: Return the saucepan to medium heat, cooking and stirring for 2-3 minutes until a layer of dough forms on the bottom of the pan.
5. Cool: Remove from heat and let the dough cool for 10 minutes.
6. Incorporate Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough is smooth and forms a streak when you run your finger through it.
7. Pipe Dough: Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a round nozzle.

Prepare the Puff Pastry

8. Roll Puff Pastry: Roll out the sheet of puff pastry to a 0.5 cm thickness.
9. Cut and Pipe: Cut a 20 cm diameter circle and place it on a baking tray. Pipe a circle of choux pastry around the edge and pipe the remaining choux pastry into small dollops on a separate tray.
10. Bake: Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool.

Vanilla Creme Diplomat

11. Bloom Gelatin: Bloom the gelatin in cold water.
12. Heat Milk: Heat milk in a pot over low heat.
13. Mix Yolks and Sugar: In a bowl, mix egg yolks, sugar, and salt until creamy.
14. Add Cornstarch: Mix in the cornstarch.
15. Cook Cream: Pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, then return to the pot and cook until thickened. Add gelatin and cool completely.
16. Mix Cream: Once chilled, mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Add vanilla, mascarpone, and fold in whipped cream.
17. Pipe Cream: Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a St. Honore nozzle.

Caramel Creme Diplomat

18. Bloom Gelatin: Bloom the gelatin in cold water for at least 10 minutes.
19. Cook Caramel: Combine 80 g sugar with water in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns amber. Cool slightly, add milk, and heat until dissolved.
20. Mix Yolks and Sugar: Mix egg yolks, remaining sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add cornstarch and mix well.
21. Cook Cream: Pour the hot caramel milk into the egg mixture, return to heat, and cook until thickened. Add gelatin and cool.
22. Mix Cream: Once chilled, mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Fold in whipped cream.

Assemble the Gateau

23. Fill Choux Buns: Make a hole at the bottom of each choux bun and fill with caramel creme diplomat.
24. Caramelize Buns: Make a wet caramel with 150 g sugar and 65 ml water. Dip the tops of the filled buns and place on baking paper. Reheat caramel if it thickens and dip the bottom of each bun, gluing them to the puff pastry ring.
25. Fill and Decorate: Fill the bottom of the gateau with remaining caramel creme diplomat, then top with vanilla creme diplomat using the St. Honore nozzle. Decorate with choux buns and caramel strings before serving.

Notes

• Dough Consistency: Ensure the choux dough is not too runny. Adjust the number of eggs as necessary.
• Caramel Handling: Be cautious when working with hot caramel to avoid burns.
• Cooling: Allow all components to cool completely before assembling to maintain structure.

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 1.5 hours
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: French

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 150g
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 20g
• Sodium: 150mg
• Fat: 25g
• Saturated Fat: 15g
• Unsaturated Fat: 8g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 30g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 5g
• Cholesterol: 120mg