Saint Honoré cake
The Saint Honoré cake is a famous example of French patisserie. It consists of a puff pastry base surrounded by a ring of caramel-coated choux puffs and topped with whipped cream (Chantilly).
It is a bit tricky to make, but this recipe gives you all the hints you need.
It is a bit tricky to make, but this recipe gives you all the hints you need.
141 K 4.4/5 (24 reviews)
2 hours 55 min.
Average
4.55 €
1 Saint Honoré cake
6 IngredientsLast modified on: April 14th 2013
For 1 Saint Honoré cake, you will need:
- 1
150 g puff or flaky pastry (pâte feuilletée) - 2
30 g icing sugar - 3
350 g confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream) - 4
350 g choux pastry (pâte à choux) - 5
200 g caster sugar - 6
200 g Chantilly cream - Total weight: 1,280 grams
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 2 hours 6 min.
Cooking: 45 min.
All in all: 2 hours 55 min.
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
Stage 1 - ⌛ 10 min.
Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C).
Cut a circle of puff pastry 26 cm (10 inches) in diameter and prick all over with a fork or pique-vite (pastry pricker).
Cut a circle of puff pastry 26 cm (10 inches) in diameter and prick all over with a fork or pique-vite (pastry pricker).
Stage 2 - ⌛ 10 min.
Cover with cooking parchment, weigh this down with a wire rack (to prevent the pastry swelling up) and bake in the oven. You can also cook it between two baking sheets.
Stage 3 - ⌛ 3 min.
Once the pastry is starting to brown and is almost cooked, take it out of the oven and remove both the wire rack and the paper. Sprinkle icing sugar over the top and put it back in the oven...
Stage 4 - ⌛ 5 min.
...for a few minutes, until the top caramelizes (if necessary, finish this under the grill).
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Stage 5 - ⌛ 40 min.
Stage 6 - ⌛ 30 min.
Prepare 350 g choux pastry (pâte à choux) and pipe in small heaps about 1.5 cm (3/4 inch) in diameter using a forcing bag .
Stage 7 - ⌛ 5 min.
Flatten the points with a tea spoon dipped in milk to make the puffs nice and round.
Stage 8 - ⌛ 20 min.
Once the puffs are cooked, leave them to cool.
Stage 9 - ⌛ 10 min.
Prepare a light caramel with 200 g caster sugar.
Stage 10 - ⌛ 2 min.
Stand the pan of caramel on a folded cloth.
Stage 11
Dip the rounded side of a choux puff into the caramel...
Stage 12
And place on a baking sheet (covered with a sheet of cooking parchment), caramel side downwards.
Stage 13 - ⌛ 40 min.
Do this with all the puffs then put the caramel to keep hot.
Fill the puffs with confectioner's custard, without turning them over.
Fill the puffs with confectioner's custard, without turning them over.
Stage 14
Turn a filled puff the other way up, hold by the top (the set caramel side) and dip the bottom into the liquid caramel...
Stage 15
Then stick this around the outside of the pastry circle and hold in place for a few seconds until the caramel sets.
Do this with the other puffs until you have completed the ring around the Saint Honoré.
Do this with the other puffs until you have completed the ring around the Saint Honoré.
Stage 16
You can put a puff in the centre for added artistic effect if you wish.
Stage 17
Fill the space with rosettes of whipped cream.
Stage 18
You can pipe small rosettes of cream around the outside, between the puffs, as a finishing touch.
Refrigerate before serving.
Refrigerate before serving.
Remarks
This recipe needs a lot of work, so it is a good idea to be organised and to prepare the elements that can wait in advance, as far as possible: puff pastry circle, confectioner's custard and choux puffs (you can even fill these).
Once you keep to the basic principle (puff-pastry base, choux pastry around it and cream filling) you can vary this in many different ways: by changing the cream, for example. Give free rein to your imagination.
Once you keep to the basic principle (puff-pastry base, choux pastry around it and cream filling) you can vary this in many different ways: by changing the cream, for example. Give free rein to your imagination.
And to drink?
A sweet white wine, such as a Loupiac.
Keeping: A few hours in the fridge.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 350 RDI=130 % | 1,770 RDI=170 % | 1,190 RDI=180 % | 4,470 RDI=220 % | 18,710 RDI: 220 % |
| Per 100 g | 30 RDI=10 % | 140 RDI=10 % | 90 RDI=10 % | 350 RDI=20 % | 1,460 RDI: 20 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 1 Saint Honoré cake : 4.55 €
Change currency:
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)
Choux pastry (pâte à choux)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Puits d'amour, Valay-Brest, Mini Mont-Blanc choux puffs, Pets de nonne, Chouquettes, ... See them all 8
Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Pistachio cream, Pear verbena tarts, Fraisier (French strawberry cake), Puits d'amour, Pear and chocolate tart with a hint of mint, ... See them all 19
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Yeast-based flaky dough (for croissants), Puits d'amour, Tart Tatin, Sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée), Lemon tart, ... See them all 372
Chantilly cream
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Pavlova, Frozen nougat, Pear charlotte, Cranachan, Rice pudding with chestnuts and poached pears, ... See them all 30
Other recipes you may also like
Almond cream
Light and delicious, it is used in a lot of desserts like tarts, cakes and pies (epiphany galette). August 31th 2025495 K 25 20 min.
Natural leaven
Leaven is a natural raising agent, a fermented mixture of water, flour and the microscopic yeasts which are present in the air. It's a delicate living substance, sensitive to the external environment. The recipe is around 4000 years old and dates back to the Egypt of the Pharaohs, via a beautiful history...(note: the ancient Egyptians seem not to have had exclusive knowledge of the process: in Germany evidence of cooking a fermented dough has been found from 8000 BC (the Neolithic era). The... April 3rd 20201.73 M 304.0 7 days 15 min.
African style chicken
This is a sort of smoked chicken, cooked in a tomato-coconut sauce, and served with kidney beans and plain rice. It's quite a simple recipe, with ready-made ingredients, but which needs a long cooking time on low heat (one hour). February 21th 2011429 K5 2 hours 4 min.
How to use gelatin
Gelatin is a gelling agent use in some desserts where a rather firm texture is required when cold. It can also be used to stabilize a dessert (mousses especially) that you need to keep longer than usual. July 9th 2018435 K4.8 7 min.
Béarnaise sauce
This very tasty sauce, flavoured with tarragon, chervil and shallot, with its hint of acidity, is perfect for grilled fish or meats. Its well-known as a difficult sauce, but here are all the tips that you need to succeed. May 22th 2016365 K4 1 hour 6 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2026-03-01)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: 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.