This site uses only a few technical cookies that are necessary for its operation.
By continuing to browse, you agree to their use (learn more...).
By continuing to browse, you agree to their use (learn more...).
Chinois
"Chinese" - what a strange name for this cake! A kind of brioche, filled with confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière) which can be decorated with fondant icing.
Last modified on: October 12th 2026
For 1 Chinois, you will need:
- 1
500 g brioche dough - 2
300 g confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream) - 3
20 g beaten egg - 4
100 g fondant icing (optional) - Total weight: 820 grams
Times for this recipe
Preparation
50 min.
Resting
4 hours
Cooking
40 min.
All in all
5 hours 30 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
If you start now, at , you will finish around: ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Step 1 - ⌛ 10 min.
After preparing 500 g brioche dough, refridgerate for 1 or 2 hours or overnight, so that the dough becomes firm.
Then roll out dough (sprinkle generously with flour) into a large rectangle about 1 cm or 0.5 inch thick.
Then roll out dough (sprinkle generously with flour) into a large rectangle about 1 cm or 0.5 inch thick.
Step 2 - ⌛ 3 min.
Put this rectangle on a bigger sheet of cooking parchment. If necessary, reshape your rectangle after this transfer operation.
Step 3 - ⌛ 5 min.
Spread a layer of 300 g confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream) all over dough rectangle, 0.5 cm or 0.25 inch thick (add more if you wish).
Step 4 - ⌛ 5 min.
Now your goal is to roll up the dough to form a cylinder.
It looks difficult, but in fact it's quite easy, thanks to the paper sheet. Use it to start rolling, without touching the dough, and so form the roll.
It looks difficult, but in fact it's quite easy, thanks to the paper sheet. Use it to start rolling, without touching the dough, and so form the roll.
Step 5
Continue until completely rolled up.
Step 6 - ⌛ 2 hours
Put roll on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until the roll becomes quite firm.
Step 7 - ⌛ 3 min.
After this time, remove roll from the fridge and with a large sharp knife, trimm off the ends to neaten.
Note: you can cook these bits later.
Note: you can cook these bits later.
Step 8 - ⌛ 10 min.
Next, cut the dough into slices about 3 cm thick and place them in a roundcake tin.
This is where the firmness of the dough is important; if it’s too soft, you’ll end up squashing the slices completely. In any case, feel free to reshape the slice into a circle slightly by hand before placing it in the tin.
This is where the firmness of the dough is important; if it’s too soft, you’ll end up squashing the slices completely. In any case, feel free to reshape the slice into a circle slightly by hand before placing it in the tin.
Step 9 - ⌛ 2 hours
Cover mould with a plastic sheet, and leave in a warm place for 2 hours.
Step 10 - ⌛ 3 min.
After this time, preheat oven to 180°C or 356°F. Glaze top of cake.
Step 11 - ⌛ 40 min.
Put in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Step 12 - ⌛ 10 min.
Turn out on a wire rack.
When cake is cool, you can decorate it with 100 g fondant icing, melted in bain-marie or microwave oven.
When cake is cool, you can decorate it with 100 g fondant icing, melted in bain-marie or microwave oven.
Remarks
You can also put on the custard before rolling up: raisins, small pieces of dried apricot, chocolates chips, etc.
Keeping: 1 or 2 days in the fridge, folded in a plastic film.
Source: Homemade.
Support the site ❤️
This site has been around for years, with no advertising, no pop-ups, no traps, no information gathering, and I maintain it alone, out of passion.
If you liked this recipe, your support helps me to keep going.
Support cuisine-facile.com
If you liked this recipe, your support helps me to keep going.
Support cuisine-facile.com
Nutritional information
| Proteins | Carbohydrates | Fats | Calories | Energy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per 100 g | 8 g RDI=12 % | 31 g RDI=12 % | 15 g RDI=21 % | 297 kcal RDI=15 % | 1,245 kJ RDI=15 % |
| Whole recipe | 66 g RDI=101 % | 257 g RDI=97 % | 126 g RDI=173 % | 2,438 kcal RDI=122 % | 10,208 kJ RDI=122 % |
How much will it cost?
For 1 Chinois
3.20 €
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Brioche dough
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example:
Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example:
Beaten egg
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example:
Other recipes you may also like
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes, next batch due to be sent on 2026-11-15
We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe
Receive an e-mail as soon as this recipe is modified or receives a new comment.
We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 2 comments already posted on this recipe