This Vanilla Mousse recipe is easy to make with a few ingredients only. The mousse is deliciously light in texture yet rich in taste and packed with fresh vanilla bean flavours. It is a great make-ahead dessert for a special occasion or a dinner party.
600mlThickened Cream / Heavy Whipping Cream min. 30% fat content
1freshVanilla Bean Podor 2 teaspoon vanilla paste
40grCaster Sugar
2largeEggsat room temperature
8gr (1 tablespoon)Cornstarch
Instructions
Pour the cream in a large saucepan. Slice the vanilla bean in half and scrape off the seeds with a small parring knife. Put both the seeds and the remaining vanilla pod in the saucepan. Stir to combine then heat up on low heat until it starts to simmer. Once it simmers, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes.
In the meantime, place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Whisk for about a minute to combine, then mix in the cornstarch.
Remove the vanilla pod from the warm cream (see note 1) then slowly pour the cream over the egg mixture while whisking. Continue to mix until completely smooth (see note 2).
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Turn on low heat and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes while continuously stirring with a heat proof spatula. Cook until the mixture has thickened without letting it boil (see note 3).
Transfer the custard into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching its surface and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or until completely cool.
Using an electric mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), whip the chilled custard on medium speed until soft peaks form. Then slowly increase to high speed and keep on whipping until you get medium to stiff peaks depending on the texture you are after (see note 4).
Gently pour the mousse into 4 (for large desserts) or 6 (for small desserts) serving cups and refrigerate for at least 3 hours - preferably overnight. Serve plain or garnish with your choice of topping once completely set.
Video
Notes
Keep the leftover vanilla pod to make homemade vanilla extract for example.
This step is called "tempering the eggs". It allows to slowly rise the temperature of the eggs to avoid a sudden change of temperature that could make the egg curdles or burn.
The mixture should coat the back of a spoon or spatula and have reached 82 to 84 degrees Celsius (180 to 183 degrees Fahrenheit).
It is better to under-whip than over-whip the mousse here. You can stop at medium peaks if you want a lighter dessert, or continue to stiff peaks for a stiffer, more stable vanilla mousse.