Custard is a popular dessert that can be found in many cuisines around the world. With its rich, velvety texture and sweet flavor, custard is loved by many. But there has been some debate around whether custard should technically be classified as a cream. In this article, we’ll examine the ingredients, preparation methods, and uses of custard, and compare them to the characteristics of creams. We’ll look at evidence from food science and culinary experts to answer the question: is custard a cream?
What is Custard?
Custard is a thickened, creamy dessert that can be served on its own or used as a filling for tarts, éclairs, crumbles, and other desserts. The main ingredients in custard are milk or cream, egg yolks, sugar, and flavorings like vanilla or lemon. Some types of custard also include flour or cornstarch as a thickening agent.
The eggs and dairy provide the characteristic rich, creamy texture of custard. To make custard, the dairy ingredient is heated with the eggs and other ingredients. As the eggs cook, the proteins denature and thicken up the surrounding liquid. The result is a lush, velvety dessert that coats the tongue.
Some common varieties of custard include:
- Crème anglaise – a poured vanilla custard often served with cakes or fruit desserts
- Crème brûlée – custard baked in a ramekin with a caramelized sugar topping
- Pots de crème – small custards baked in pots or cups
- Flan – a baked egg custard popular in Spanish and Latin American cuisines
- Crème caramel or flan de leche – a custard dessert with caramel sauce
- Cheesecake – contains eggs, cream cheese and sometimes dairy cream in the filling
- Ice cream – many ice creams start with a custard base
The rich taste and texture of custard make it a popular component in many sweet treats around the world.
What are Creams?
Creams are defined as thickened dairy products with a high fat content. There are various kinds of cream used in cooking and baking:
- Heavy or double cream – contains around 36-40% milk fat.
- Whipping cream – contains 30-36% milk fat.
- Light cream – contains 18-30% milk fat.
- Half and half – contains 10-18% milk fat.
Creams are often used to bring richness, texture, and moisture to both savory dishes and desserts. Due to their high fat content, dairy creams have a smooth, creamy mouthfeel and carry fat-soluble flavors well. When whipped, dairy creams incorporate air and thicken into fluffy peaks, perfect for topping cakes and other desserts.
In cooking, cream is often added to sauces, soups, and pasta dishes. Heavy cream can be reduced into thick, concentrated sauces. Light cream provides richness without overpowering a more delicately flavored dish. Sour cream and crème fraîche are cultured creams that bring tangy flavors to recipes.
In baking, whipped cream lightens cakes and soufflés. Pastry cream or crème pâtissière, a thickened custard, fills eclairs, napoleons and tarts. Mascarpone cheese lends richness to tiramisu and cheesecakes.
Comparing Custard and Cream
So how exactly does custard measure up against the characteristics that define a cream? Let’s compare them side by side:
Ingredients
Creams are made by skimming the higher fat milk content off the top of non-homogenized milk. The main ingredient is dairy cream.
Custard also contains dairy cream or milk, but relies on additional ingredients like egg yolks, sugar, and flavorings. The eggs are essential to give body, structure, and thickening ability to custard.
Texture
Properly made custard has a lush, creamy texture similar to that of dairy cream. However, custards achieve this texture partly through the coagulation of egg proteins rather than just from fat content. The eggs enable the custard to coat the tongue and palate pleasingly even with less fat than pure dairy cream.
Uses
Creams are very versatile ingredients used across savory and sweet dishes. Custards are predominantly used in desserts, playing starring roles in dishes like crème brûlée and flan. However, custard can sometimes feature in savory recipes as well, like stirring a touch of crème anglaise into a chicken pot pie or using pastry cream as the base for quiche.
Preparation
Cream is produced by skimming milk and does not require extensive cooking. Custards must be heated to cook the egg proteins and thicken the surrounding liquid into the desired creamy texture.
Custards require care to cook properly without curdling or overcooking. If overheated, the egg proteins will toughen and squeeze out moisture, ruining the tender texture.
Nutrition
Due to the addition of eggs, custards contain more protein than plain cream. A 1/2 cup serving of custard may have around 6 grams of protein compared to just under 1 gram in heavy cream.
However, calorie-wise custard and cream are fairly comparable. Heavy cream has about 415 calories per 1/2 cup compared to 385 calories in the same amount of custard.
Fat Content
The egg yolks in custard lower its fat percentage compared to pure dairy creams. While heavy cream has 36-40% fat, crème anglaise custard contains around 18-25% fat. However, the richness of egg yolks enables custard to deliver a creamy mouthfeel despite a lower fat percentage.
Is Custard a Type of Cream?
Based on the evidence, most food experts argue that custard does not quite align with the technical definition of cream. Though similar in texture and uses, custard differs from cream in ingredients, preparation, and composition. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration defines cream as a milk product containing at least 18% milk fat. Custard falls slightly below the 18% threshold in many recipes. Most importantly, custard relies on eggs rather than just milk fat for its signature texture.
However, others contend that since custard delivers a rich creamy texture and taste, it can be considered a type of cream, though distinguished by the addition of eggs. Some dictionary definitions also include custard as a variety of cream.
Ultimately, custard toes the line between a proper cream and a cream-like egg-thickened sauce or dessert. While not a pure dairy cream, its lush texture earns it a close association with cream in practical culinary terms. So while custard may not fit the technical cream definition perfectly, calling it a type of cream is still generally acceptable.
Examples of Custards as Creams
Though custard and cream are not identical, custards often function as creams in dessert recipes. Here are some examples:
Pastry Cream
Pastry cream or crème pâtissière is essentially a cooked custard thickened with flour. Smooth and creamy, it fills pastries, tarts, éclairs, and more. Pastry cream provides the element of rich creaminess in both taste and texture to balance flaky or crunchy pastry. Its custard base means it can hold its shape once cooled instead of running or oozing.
Cheesecake Fillings
Classic New York-style cheesecakes have a dense, ultra-creamy texture from the blend of cream cheese and sour cream. However, many recipes also incorporate egg custards. This custard element contributes moisture, body, and stability to the creamy cheesecake filling. The eggs enable it to set up firmly enough to slice neatly.
Ice Cream Bases
Many homemade ice creams start with a cooked egg custard base. The eggs lend structure, richness, and body to the ice cream once churned. They also help ice cream stay scoopable straight from the freezer. The cooked custard base provides the same luscious mouthfeel and richness that pure dairy cream would create in ice cream.
Creme Anglaise
Crème anglaise is a simple poured custard sauce flavored with vanilla. Its sole purpose is to supply a pool of delicately sweet, creamy richness to serve alongside a piece of cake or fresh fruit. The custard base is crucial for the sauce to coat the palate smoothly. Crème anglaise demonstrates how custards can function as fluid creams.
Custard Puddings
Custard puddings like crème caramel and flan are essentially egg-thickened, cream-enriched sauces transformed into deliciously jiggly desserts. Their soft, creamy custards deliver rich flavor and texture similar to creams. The egg coagulation enables the puddings to be unmolded and hold their shape at room temperature.
Substituting Custards for Creams
Because of their textural similarities, custards can often stand in for creams in recipes. However, a few adjustments may be needed:
- Since custards are not as intensely fatty and rich as heavy cream, increase the egg yolks slightly to compensate.
- The egg proteins in custards make them better structured for fillings. Rein in egg amounts in cream substitutes for looser applications like pouring sauces.
- Cook egg-thickened cream substitutes gently to avoid curdling.
- Chill custard thoroughly before use to help prevent weeping and drainage in filled treats.
- Whipped cream has air incorporated; fold a custard substitute delicately to mimic this light texture.
Here are some examples of swapping in custards:
| Recipe | Original Cream | Custard Substitution |
|---|---|---|
| Cheesecake | Sour cream | Gently cooked crème anglaise |
| Cake filling | Whipped cream | Lightly whipped crème anglaise |
| Ice cream | Heavy cream | Cooked custard base |
| Cream sauce | Heavy cream reduced | Gently cooked crème anglaise |
When Custard Can’t Substitute for Cream
While custards can often mimic creams, there are certain recipes and applications where they just won’t work the same:
- Whipping – Custards can be folded to lighten them but cannot be whipped into stable peaks like cream.
- Butter-enrichment – Beurre blanc and other butter-thickened sauces rely solely on butter’s emulsifying power, not eggs.
- Coffee drinks – Pouring custard into coffee would result in curdled mess.
- Savory dishes – Custard can’t seasonally enrich cooked veggies, pasta, etc. without tasting oddly sweet.
- Specific recipes like icebox cakes – Require whipped cream to remain soft, not dense custard.
- As a garnish – Custards lack the bright white color for garnishing dishes.
In these cases, it’s best to stick with true dairy cream alternatives like coconut or nut milks and creams.
Conclusion
Custard toes an interesting line between a proper cream and a unique egg-thickened dessert sauce. While custard doesn’t perfectly match the technical definition of cream, it often functions similarly in dessert recipes. Custard mimics cream’s texture, provides richness, and stabilizes fillings without curdling. So while not a true dairy cream, custard can usually be considered and used as a type of cream thanks to its lush texture and decadent taste.