Spanish Cream. An old family recipe much like panna cotta or blancmange but more mousse like in texture. Serve with whipped cream & berries or in a trifle, especially when using angel food cake.
Spanish Cream
Today dear ol’ Mom makes a guest chef appearance on the blog. Spanish Cream is a recipe that has been in our family for decades and had been made hundreds of times I’m sure.
This particular dessert was served after Easter lunch and often appears as a light dessert at Meb’s table after a heavy meal.
Fresh ripe perfect strawberries are great to serve with Spanish Cream when in season.
We basically top this with any fresh or frozen berries that we have on hand.
Use frozen berries to top if you like; as in the photos.
It is also easily adapted for dieters or diabetics by using a sugar substitute and possibly low fat milk.
I also use this recipe as a part of a simple trifle. I do this by layering it with cake slices and fresh fruit, then topping the whole thing with whipped cream.
Spanish Cream
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Spanish Cream
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp gelatin powder, 1 envelope or 3 sheets
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup whipping cream
Instructions
- Stir gelatin in the 1/2 cup milk and set aside to soften for 10 minutes.
- In a double boiler heat the other 1 1/2 cups milk to scalding.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour in the scalded milk, whisking continuously.
- Return the mixture to the double boiler and add the sugar and salt.
- Continue to cook until the mixture thickens very slightly and coats the back of a metal spoon. i.e. a finger drawn across a spoon that has been dipped into the mixture leaves a distinct line.
- Remove from heat and stir in the softened gelatin and the vanilla extract.
- Stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Chill in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally until the gelatin becomes partly set.
- Whip the egg whites to firm peaks and fold the partly partly set gelatin mixture through the whipped egg whites until well combined.
- Pour into the serving dish or into individual serving dishes and allow to set completely for a couple of hours or overnight.
- Top with whipped cream and your favourite fresh or frozen fruit. Makes a very nice filling between cake layers with fruit for a trifle as well, especially when using angel food cake.
Notes
Calorie count is based upon using white sugar in the recipe.
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Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
6 servingsAmount Per Serving Calories 248Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 113mgSodium 173mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 0gSugar 12gProtein 7g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Mary
Sunday 4th of January 2026
My mum used to make Spanish Cream for our Christmas dessert and hers always separated into jelly on the bottom and fluffy cream on the top. I only ate the top because I was never very fond of jelly. Yours doesn’t look like it has separated. I don’t know whether it is supposed to or not. :))
Rick C
Friday 16th of May 2025
From Australia. In my late 70's and remember Spanish Cream from my childhood. Mum served it in glass, and I remember separation of the 2 layers. Served plain with no additions so am looking forward to doing it with strawberries or raspberries. Maybe a hint of Cointreau or Grand Marnier in the syrup, with shaved peel. Actually, I have persimmons ripening so this could be a vehicle for them,
debbie larson
Sunday 10th of November 2019
My Mother-in-Law made this often for Sunday Dinner dessert. She lived in St. John's all her life. I am pretty sure she got her recipe from her English parents. She was an excellent baker and would only serve this with Avoset cream! Thanks for this recipe. I don't have her recipe so was glad to discover your post!
Shirley
Sunday 10th of November 2019
Hello Barry. Thank you for this recipe. As a child this was the one dessert I requested. I recently reviewed the recipe, which my mother gave to me many years ago. My concern was for the raw egg whites. Never had a problem as a child, or when I took this to pot lucks as an adult, but the nurse in me has questioned the safety of raw egg white. I would appreciate your view on this - I trust your judgement!
Anne
Tuesday 12th of September 2017
My mother, Eleanoe (Snow) Morgan, was the granddaughter of a Pike and her Spanish Cream was a one- bowl affair that I have yet to perfect. She served it with a berry coulis - yum!