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Hungarian vanilla slice dusted with powdered sugar
Classic Hungarian vanilla custard slice made at home

Hungarian Vanilla Slice (Krémes)

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Cakes and Desserts
A cornerstone of Hungarian confectionery. A distant cousin of the French mille-feuille, but here the focus is on the thick, wobbling vanilla custard, not the many layers of pastry. The soul of the cream lies in the interplay of egg yolks and starch (pudding), lightened with whipped egg whites or cream.
🕒 Prep Time 30 mins
🍳 Cook Time 20 mins
⌛ Total Time 3 hrs
🍽️ Servings 8 servings
🔥 Calories 380 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Hungarian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Baking sheet
  • Whisk
  • Square cake ring (optional, for assembly)

Allergen Information

⚠️ Wheat
⚠️ Milk
⚠️ Egg

Instructions

1 ✓

Roll out the puff pastry to fit your baking sheet, prick thoroughly with a fork (to prevent rising), and bake at 400°F (200°C) until golden brown (approx. 12-15 mins). You need two sheets.

Tip: Steam generated between the fat layers lifts the pastry during baking. (Physical leavening)
2 ✓

Whisk the egg yolks until smooth with the sugar, cornstarch, and a splash of cold milk.

Tip: Always dissolve starch in cold liquid first, otherwise, it will lump in hot milk.
3 ✓

Bring the rest of the milk to a boil. Pour the hot milk in a thin stream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly (tempering), then pour everything back into the pot.

Tip: If you dump it in all at once, the eggs will scramble.
4 ✓

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it becomes a thick custard and starts to bubble. Stir in vanilla. Let it cool completely.

Tip: Boiling is necessary to swell the starch granules and cook out the raw flour taste.
5 ✓

Whip the cold heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold it gently into the cooled vanilla custard.

Tip: The air bubbles in the whipped cream lighten the dense pudding.
6 ✓

Place one pastry sheet in a deep tray, spread the cream over it. Cut the second pastry sheet into serving-sized squares and place them on top of the cream.

Tip: This way, you won't squash the cream out when serving.
7 ✓

Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours to set the cream and soften the pastry slightly.

Recipe FAQ

Why did the cream collapse when cutting?
You either didn't cook the base thick enough or didn't chill it long enough. The custard needs time to set (gelatinize).
How do I cut it without breaking the pastry?
Use a serrated knife and use a gentle sawing motion (don't press!). Even better, pre-cut the top pastry sheet into squares before placing it on the cream.

Ingredients

  • 1 box Puff Pastry Sheets (2 sheets needed)
  • 2 cups Milk
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract (or 2 packets vanilla sugar)
  • 3/4 cup Sugar
  • 5 pcs Egg Yolks
  • 1/2 cup Cornstarch (or Vanilla Pudding Mix)
  • 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 2 tbsp Powdered Sugar (for dusting)