Diplomat Cream

Diplomat cream is a lighter cousin of pastry cream. You take a finished creme patissiere, stabilise it with a small amount of bloomed gelatin while still warm, then fold in cold whipped cream once it has cooled. The result is a velvety, pipeable filling that holds shape inside choux buns, layered cakes and tarts without going runny at room temperature. Home cooks love it because the gelatin lets you pipe clean rosettes that stay put for hours. It is more stable than chantilly and lighter than buttercream. Flavour it with vanilla, citrus zest, coffee, or pureed fruit.