Cloudberry Cream Puff Cake

A cloudberry cream puff cake layers crispy choux pastry with whipped cream and tart cloudberry curd, creating a dessert that is both light and rich. The choux puffs up in the oven to give the cake its signature airy texture, while the curd provides brightness and tang against the sweetness of the cream.

Ingredients for Cloudberry Cream Puff Cake

Butter and water form the base of the choux pastry, creating steam that puffs the dough as it bakes. All-purpose flour provides structure, while eggs bind everything and add lift. Salt seasons the pastry. Heavy cream and powdered sugar whip into a cloud-like filling. Cloudberry curd or cloudberry jam adds the distinctive tart-sweet flavor and a jewel-like color. Vanilla extract rounds out the cream filling with subtle warmth.

Why This Cloudberry Cream Puff Cake Works

Choux pastry relies on steam to rise. When butter and water heat together, they create a base that absorbs flour and eggs, then the eggs cook and trap steam inside the dough. This is why the pastry puffs dramatically and creates hollow, crispy shells perfect for filling.

The cake is assembled after everything cools completely, so the cream stays fluffy and the pastry stays crisp. The tart cloudberry curd cuts through the richness of the cream and butter, keeping each bite bright instead of heavy.

Mistakes To Avoid

Using cold eggs in the choux dough stops the mixture from coming together smoothly. The eggs will not incorporate into the hot butter-flour mixture, leaving lumps instead of a glossy paste that pipes easily.

Opening the oven door before the choux has set causes a sudden drop in temperature and collapses the puffs. Wait until the pastry is golden and firm before checking, which takes at least 35 minutes.

Filling the pastry shells while they are still warm will make the whipped cream melt and the cloudberry curd break. Cool everything completely on a wire rack first, which takes about 30 minutes.

Overmixing the whipped cream turns it grainy and separates it into butter and liquid. Whip only until stiff peaks form, when the cream holds a shape but is still glossy and light.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (65 grams)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, cold
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cloudberry curd or cloudberry jam

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil, about 4 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in flour until a thick, smooth paste forms with no lumps, about 1 minute.
4. Let cool for 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture is glossy and thick, about 2 minutes total.
5. Transfer to a piping bag. Pipe 8 mounds of dough onto the parchment, spacing them 2 inches apart.
6. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 35 to 40 minutes, until deep golden brown and firm to the touch. Do not open the oven door during baking.
7. Cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
8. In a separate bowl, whip cold heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overmix.
9. Slice each cooled puff in half horizontally. Fill the bottom half with about 1 tablespoon of cloudberry curd, then top with whipped cream. Replace the top half.
10. Arrange the filled puffs on a serving plate or cake stand, stacking or layering as desired. Serve immediately.