Vanilla Bean Paste Substitute: If you don’t have this on hand, simply use more vanilla instead.
Potato Starch Substitute: You can use 3 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch instead.
Choux Pastry Tip: Don’t be tempted to swap out the water for milk in the choux pastry for this recipe. Water helps result in a crisper, lighter choux pastry, and also prevents over-browning. On the other hand, milk in choux pastry acts as a tenderizer, and yields a softer pastry.
Crème Mousseline Tip: When you make the crème mousseline, make sure the butter and the pastry cream are the same temperature. Both should be at room temperature, about 70 to 74F.
If You Don’t Have 2 Springform Pans: If you only have 1 springform pan, you can bake the choux cakes 1 at a time. Just be sure to place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the dough while the first cake bakes. Alternatively, if you don’t have any springform pans, you can line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper and draw 1 (9-inch) circles on each. Spread the batter out onto the circles you drew and bake that way.
ADVERTISEMENT
