When people think of choux pastry (pâte à choux), cream puffs or profiteroles likely come to mind—maybe even éclairs. But Paris-Brest? That’s one pastry many haven’t heard of. Whenever I mention it, I’m often met with blank stares or a curious, “What’s that?”

For those unfamiliar, Paris-Brest is made with the same choux pastry as cream puffs but shaped into a ring, resembling a bicycle wheel. This iconic dessert was created in the early 20th century as a tribute to the Paris-Brest-Paris bicycle race—the oldest in the world. Traditionally, it’s filled with a rich hazelnut praline crème mousseline.

Paris-Brest is one of my favorite pastries to make. When I first learned to bake it, I used a non-traditional filling—whipped cream combined with pastry cream (a thick, creamy custard also known as crème pâtissière) and fresh fruit. I loved it so much that I’ve stuck with this version ever since! I also make them donut-sized, which is how they’re often sold in French pastry shops.

One of my friends loves Paris-Brest so much that I had an idea: instead of making a batch of small pastries for her birthday, why not create a large, cake-sized Paris-Brest?

I finally got around to making a giant version recently. Since I had plenty of frozen raspberries, I made a luscious raspberry crème mousseline filling—perfect for Valentine’s Day. If you’ve never tried crème mousseline (aka German buttercream), you’re missing out! It’s pastry cream whipped with butter, giving you the best of both worlds—a silky, rich buttercream that’s light, airy, and not overly sweet.

Paris-Brest does involve a few steps, but if you’ve made choux pastry before, you’ll find it quite manageable. And if you haven’t, maybe this is the perfect challenge! The end result is absolutely worth it—not only delicious but also a showstopping dessert.

Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️

Did you make this recipe?

Share your comments below.  Don’t forget to take a photo, tag it @divinelydelish on Instagram and hashtag it #divinelydelish 😊 I’d love to see your creations!

To see more of my food photos and videos, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube ❤

RASPBERRY PARIS-BREST

Makes 2 – 7″ rings

Ingredients:

Choux pastry:

300ml water
3g salt
12g whole milk powder
135g unsalted butter, room temperature
165g bread flour
5 medium to large eggs (about 240g)
small handful of raw almond slices

Raspberry Crème Mousseline:

400g raspberries, fresh or frozen
175g sugar, divided 75g + 100g
1 tablespoon lemon juice
500ml whole milk, divided 375ml + 125ml
40g cornstarch
2 large egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
226g unsalted butter, room temperature
100g fresh raspberries for the inside, whole or sliced in half

icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

Method:

Choux pastry:

1. In a medium pot combine water, salt, milk powder and butter over medium heat until simmering.

2. Add all the bread flour at once. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined and a ball of dough is formed. Continue cooking for 2 to 4 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan. You’ll also notice that some of the dough will stick to the bottom of the pot and form a thin film – this is normal.

3. Transfer the cooked dough to a large bowl and let it cool down a bit (it just needs to be cool enough so that the eggs don’t get cooked when you add them in).

4. In the meantime, preheat oven to 400F (205C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and on each one, make an outline of a circle by tracing around a 7″ cake ring or pan.

5. Add in 1 to 2 eggs at a time to the choux dough, mixing well after each addition. After all the eggs have been added, you will get a dough with a pipeable consistency.

6. Prepare a piping bag with a large round tip (like a Wilton 1A). Fill the bag with the dough.

7. Spray or sprinkle some water over the surface of the parchment-lined baking sheets. Pipe the dough, following the outline on the parchment paper. Then pipe another circle of dough just inside and touching the bigger circle. Finally, pipe a third circle of dough on top of the seam between the bottom 2 circles. With a dampened finger, gently smooth out any uneven bits of dough. 

8. Repeat Step 7 on the other baking sheet. Then gently press almond slices over tops of both.

9. Bake for 20 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 375F (190C) and bake for another 20 minutes (Do NOT open the oven during this time, unless you need to rotate the baking sheets to get a uniform colour, in which case you can quickly do so after 30 minutes of baking).  Then turn off the oven and leave pastries to cool in the oven for 1 hour. 

10. In the meantime, prepare the raspberry crème mousseline. After an hour, transfer the pastries to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Raspberry Crème Mousseline:

1. In a medium saucepan, add fresh or frozen raspberries, 75g sugar and lemon juice. Gently stir over medium heat, breaking up the raspberries, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until it begins to thicken (it should coat the back of a spoon when done). Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely. As it cools, the sauce will thicken further, to the consistency of jam.

2. In a medium pot, combine 375ml milk along with the scraped-out seeds from the vanilla bean (or add vanilla extract). Heat over low to medium-low heat. In the meantime, in a medium bowl, combine 100g of sugar and cornstarch. Then add in the remaining 125ml milk and the egg yolks. Whisk until well combined and no lumps are remaining.

3. When the heated milk comes to a simmer, pour approximately half of it into the egg yolk mixture, while whisking at the same time. Then pour this mixture all back into the pot. Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat. Keep whisking the mixture until it thickens and starts bubbling. Remove from heat.

4. Immediately pour the custard into the bowl of a stand mixer. Turn on the machine and leave it to whisk the pastry cream until it completely cools down. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

5. In a clean mixing bowl, beat the butter for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

6. Add in the cooled raspberry jam, 2-3 spoonfuls at a time, beating well after each addition. 

7. Add in the cooled pastry cream, a few spoonfuls at a time, beating well after each addition. The pastry cream should be fully incorporated into the raspberry butter mixture.

Assembling the Paris-Brest:

1. Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the pastries in half, horizontally. Remove the top halves and set aside. Place the bottom halves on cake boards or serving plates.

2. Place the crème mousseline into a piping bag fitted with a filling tip (recommended Wilton 1M tip). Pipe a layer of decorative swirls on the bottom half of each of the pastries.

3. Spread some raspberries over the crème mousseline, and then pipe some more decorative swirls on top. Replace the top halves of the pastries.

4. Place finished Paris-Brest in refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the crème mousseline to harden a little so that it will be easier to slice. Before serving, dust with icing sugar, if desired.

Notes: 

Choux pastry is best eaten fresh, and is recommended to be eaten within 24 hours. However, it can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.  The pastry will soften and lose its light and fluffy texture the longer it keeps.

All the components in this recipe—choux pastry, raspberry jam and pastry cream—can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. Store the unbaked choux pastry dough in an airtight container, and the jam in a well-sealed jar or airtight container. Use plastic wrap to cover the pastry cream, ensuring that it touches the surface of the custard, to avoid a skin forming. Let everything come to room temperature before using. You’ll need to give the pastry cream a good stir to make it smooth again.