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Loading...Saint-Honoré is a showstopping French pâtisserie classic created in 1846 in honor of Saint Honoré, the patron saint of bakers. The cake layers crisp puff pastry, a ring of caramel-glazed choux puffs, and a cloud of vanilla Chiboust cream where Italian meringue is folded into pastry cream. The contrast of crackly caramel, tender choux, silky cream, and flaky pastry makes every bite a celebration.
Prep Time60 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time105 mins
Servings8
Yield8 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 520 kcalCalories
- 32 gFat
- 18 gSaturated Fat
- 52 gCarbs
- 1 gFiber
- 32 gSugar
- 7 gProtein
- 180 mgSodium
- 130 mgPotassium
- 80 mgCalcium
- 1.5 mgIron
- 0.3 mgVitamin C
- 250 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the puff pastry base
- 1 sheet (about 250 g) all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, for dusting
For the choux puffs
- 125 ml (½ cup) whole milk
- 125 ml (½ cup) water
- 100 g (7 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 140 g (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
For the Chiboust cream
- 500 ml (2 cups) whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
- 6 large egg yolks
- 120 g (⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar, divided
- 40 g (⅓ cup) cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin (about 1 envelope)
- 3 large egg whites
- 60 ml (¼ cup) water, for the syrup
For the caramel and assembly
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 60 ml (¼ cup) water
- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup or glucose
- 200 ml (¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon) heavy whipping cream, cold
Directions
- Make the choux puffs: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment. In a saucepan combine the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt and bring to a rolling boil. Add all the flour at once and stir vigorously over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides and a thin film coats the pan.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and let cool 2 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time until the dough is glossy and falls in a thick V from the spoon. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm (½ inch) round tip and pipe 14 to 16 small mounds, each about 3 cm wide, onto the prepared sheet. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until deeply golden and crisp; do not open the oven during baking. Cool completely on a rack.
- Bake the puff pastry base: Roll the puff pastry on a floured surface to a 28 cm (11 inch) round about 3 mm thick, place on a parchment-lined sheet, dock all over with a fork, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 18 to 22 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool completely.
- Make the pastry cream base: Pour the milk into a saucepan with the scraped vanilla bean and bring just to a simmer. In a bowl whisk the yolks, 80 g of the sugar, and cornstarch until pale. Temper with the hot milk, return everything to the pan, and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until very thick, about 2 minutes. Press plastic directly on the surface and chill until just warm, about 15 minutes.
- Bloom the gelatin in 3 tablespoons cold water for 5 minutes, then whisk it into the warm pastry cream until melted. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks while heating the remaining 60 g sugar with the 60 ml water to 118°C (245°F); stream the syrup into the whites and beat to a stiff, glossy Italian meringue. Fold the meringue into the pastry cream in three additions to make a light Chiboust cream.
- Make the caramel: Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a light-colored saucepan and cook over medium heat without stirring until deep amber, about 8 minutes. Immediately dip the top of each cooled choux puff in the hot caramel and place them caramel-side up on a silicone mat. Reserve the remaining caramel in the pan.
- Pipe a small amount of Chiboust cream into the bottom of each puff. Whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks and place the baked puff pastry round on a serving plate. Pipe a tall border of Chiboust cream around the edge of the pastry using a 1.5 cm (⅝ inch) star tip, and pipe a generous mound of plain whipped cream in the center.
- Arrange the caramel-topped choux puffs around the border, gently pressing their bases into the cream border so they stand upright and stick together. Reheat the remaining caramel until fluid, then drizzle it in long threads over the center of the cake. Chill for at least 1 hour before slicing with a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts.
Cook’s Notes
- Resist opening the oven while the choux bake; steam escaping causes them to deflate. Pierce any that slump right out of the oven with a skewer to release steam.
- Use a light-colored saucepan for the caramel so you can judge the color accurately; amber is correct, dark brown means bitter.
- Work quickly once the caramel is ready because it stiffens fast. If it hardens in the pot, add a splash of water and rewarm gently.
- The Chiboust cream holds for about 2 hours at cool room temperature, so pipe the cake shortly before serving for the lightest texture.
- For a quicker version, use a high-quality store-bought all-butter puff pastry and bake it straight from the chilled state.
