Savarine with lemon cream

I usually make savarins when I crave something sweet, but I don't want to spend half a day in the kitchen. Plus, the lemon cream recipe is a refreshing option, especially in spring and summer. I've tried various dough recipes over time, but the formula below is balanced and doesn't pose any issues with rising.

Quick Info

Total time: about 2 hours (including rising and cooling)
Servings: 8 pieces
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

Dough:
1 egg
8 g dry yeast (or 25 g fresh)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons oil
150 ml whole milk
230 g all-purpose flour
1 pinch of salt

Syrup:
200 g sugar
300 ml water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cream:
2 packets of lemon cream (Dr. Oetker or equivalent)
500 ml milk (boiled and cooled)
200 g powdered sugar

Decoration:
strawberry or apple jam (or another tangy jam)

Instructions

1. Dough

Sift the flour into a large bowl to give it room to rise. Warm the milk until it's lukewarm, not hot (I test it with my finger; if I can keep my finger in it, it's fine). Add the yeast and sugar to the milk, stir, and let it sit for 3-5 minutes to activate. Add the beaten egg, oil, and salt. Pour the liquid mixture over the flour and stir everything with a spoon. Finally, knead briefly by hand until you get a homogeneous, slightly sticky dough.

Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise for 30-40 minutes in a warm place (I place it near the oven, not directly on it).

2. Portioning and Baking

Grease the savarin or muffin molds with a little oil and dust them with flour. Using a spoon, divide the dough among the molds – about 2/3 full, as the dough will rise further. Let the dough in the molds rise for another 20 minutes.

Place the molds in the preheated oven at 170°C. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until they turn a light golden color. Don't take them out too early, or they will remain wet in the middle. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely, either in the molds or on a wire rack.

3. Syrup

In a small pot, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Keep it over medium heat until the sugar completely dissolves, then turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Let the syrup cool (it should be at room temperature when you use it, so it doesn't soak the savarins too much).

4. Cream

Heat the milk until it just boils, then let it cool completely before preparing the cream. In a bowl, combine the two packets of lemon cream, add the cold milk and powdered sugar. Mix first on low speed for 2 minutes, then increase the speed until the cream thickens and achieves a stable texture. Refrigerate until assembly.

5. Assembly

Using a small knife, cut a thin cap off each savarin. You can gently press the center of the savarin with a teaspoon to make room for the cream. Dip each piece in the syrup on all sides, but don’t soak them too long – if they sit too long, they will fall apart.

Fill the hollowed-out part with cold lemon cream. Replace the cut cap and spread a teaspoon of tangy jam on top (I like strawberry jam, but apple jam works too). Let the savarins chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving, so the cream stabilizes and the syrup absorbs well.

Why I make this recipe often

It's a recipe that doesn't require complicated ingredients, and the texture of the savarins remains fluffy even after a day. I like that they can be made ahead and keep well in the fridge. The lemon cream gives them a slight tang, so they aren't heavy.

Tips and Variations

Tips

- Use fresh milk, not UHT, for the cream.
- If you don’t have special molds, muffin trays work too, but don’t fill them to the top.
- Let them cool completely before cutting, or they may crumble.
- If you find the dough is too soft, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour.

Substitutions

- The lemon cream can be replaced with whipped cream or vanilla cream.
- Strawberry jam can be substituted with any tangy jam – raspberry, sour cherry, or even currant jam.
- The milk in the dough can be plant-based, but the texture will be slightly different.

Variations

- Add grated lemon or orange zest to the dough for a more intense flavor.
- For cake-like savarins, bake the dough in a round pan and assemble it like a large cake.
- You can add a little rum to the syrup for a more classic flavor, if you prefer.

Serving Ideas

- Serve cold, straight from the fridge.
- If you like, decorate each with a little grated lemon zest or mint leaves.
- You can add fresh fruits on the side for contrast.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use fresh yeast instead of dry?
Yes, use 25 g of fresh yeast and dissolve it in the milk with the sugar, then proceed as in the basic recipe.

2. Can savarins be made with homemade cream?
Yes, you can make a lemon cream from egg yolks, milk, sugar, and cornstarch, but it takes longer and requires patience to cool.

3. How long should I leave them in the fridge before serving?
At least an hour after assembly. If they sit longer (up to 24 hours), the texture becomes even more pleasant.

4. How can I avoid savarins breaking when soaking them in syrup?
Use completely cooled savarins and dip them quickly; don’t let them sit too long in the syrup.

5. Can they be frozen?
I don’t recommend freezing, as the texture becomes soggy and the cream loses its good consistency after thawing.

Nutritional values (per serving, estimated)

Calories: 300-350 kcal
Protein: 6 g
Carbohydrates: 65 g
Fat: 7 g

Most of the calories come from flour, sugar, and cream. The instant lemon cream and jam increase the sugar content, so for a lighter dessert, portion carefully.

Storage and Reheating

Savarins can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Serve them straight from the fridge. They don’t need reheating – if you want to bring them to room temperature, leave them out for 10-15 minutes before serving. If they remain unsoaked, they can be frozen, but the texture won’t be the same after thawing.

We sift the flour into a large bowl, in the slightly warmed milk we add the yeast and sugar, then the egg, oil, and a pinch of salt. We pour the mixture over the flour and mix well. We place it in a warm spot and let the dough rise for about 30-40 minutes. We grease the molds with oil and flour and, using a spoon, distribute the dough into the molds. We let the dough rise in the molds for about 20 minutes, then we put it in the oven on low heat until it turns lightly golden (about 30 minutes). For the syrup: We boil water with sugar until it dissolves, then remove from heat and add lemon juice, letting it cool. For the cream: We mix the cream packets with milk and sugar, starting at low speed for 2 minutes, then gradually increase the speed until it thickens, and refrigerate until assembling the savarins. Assembly: We gently cut the tops off the savarins and soak them well, then fill them with cold cream and place the tops back on, adding a teaspoon of jam on top. We keep them cool until serving. For the cream, the fresh milk must first be boiled and then cooled. For greasing the tops, it is preferable to use strawberry jam.

 Ingredients: For the dough: 1 egg, 8 g dry yeast, 2 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons oil, 150 ml milk, 230 g flour, 1 pinch of salt. For the syrup: 200 g sugar, 300 g water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice. For the cream: 2 packets Dr. Oetker lemon cream, 500 ml milk, 200 g powdered sugar. Decoration: apple jam.

 Tags:  savarine