Coeur a la Creme with Raspberry Rose Sauce
Coeur a la Creme must be the world’s most romantic dessert! This classic treat is luscious, beautiful, and definitely meant to be eaten from one plate with two spoons. I mean, just the name (said with your best French accent) says “romance”.
Table of contents
Why this is the best Coeur a la Creme Recipe
We all know that making food, especially dessert, is a way to express love. What better way to say “I love you” than with a gorgeous, delicious and easy to make Coeur a la Creme?
My take on this classic French dessert has a couple of updates.
Instead of using only cream cheese, I use a mixture of cream cheese and mascarpone. I love mascarpone’s sweet and smooth taste. Using the two cheeses makes for a lighter texture and more interesting flavor.
I serve the dessert with zesty and fragrant Raspberry Rose Sauce. It’s the perfect compliment to the rich and creamy coeur.
Ingredients
How to make classic Coeur a la Creme
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Place your mold on a clean sheet pan.
- Line the mold with cheesecloth.
- Mix the ingredients according to the recipe.
- Spread the cheese filling into the prepared mold.
- Fold the cheesecloth over to cover the top.
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably over night.
- Make the candied rose petals while the coeur is chilling.
- Place the sugar, egg whites and rose petals in separate bowls.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Coat each rose petal with egg white then dip them into the sugar to coat.
- Set the petals on the tray to dry.
Pastry Chef Recipe Tips
Traditionally, Coeur a la Creme is molded in a special heart-shaped ceramic dish with holes on the bottom. The idea is that the excess liquid will drain away from the cream as it sits in the refrigerator.
I tested making a Coeur in a 6″ heart shaped aluminum cake pan lined with cheesecloth. There really was no difference. There is no need to buy the special pan if you already own small heart-shaped pan or any other 6″ cake pan.
This recipe can be molded into small ramekins to make individual desserts for any occasion.
Storage
Coeur a la creme should be refrigerated until serving. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
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Coeur a La Creme Recipe
Ingredients
Coeur a la Creme
- 4 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- ½ lemon (finely grated zest)
- ⅓ vanilla bean (split and seeded)
- 2 oz mascarpone cheese
- 3 oz confectioners sugar (⅔ cup)
- 8 oz heavy cream (1 cup)
Candied Rose Petals
- Petals from 1 large rose (gently rinsed in a bowl of cold water and air dried)
- 2 pasteurized egg whites
- 8 oz superfine granulated sugar (1 cup (see note))
Raspberry Rose Sauce
- 12 oz frozen raspberries (defrosted (see note))
- 4 oz superfine sugar (½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon rosewater (or to taste)
Garnish
- Fresh raspberries
Instructions
Coeur a la Creme
- Line a large perforated Coeur a la Creme dish or individual molds of your choice with moistened cheesecloth. Set the dish on a larger pan to collect any liquid that drains.
- Beat 4 oz cream cheese, finely grated zest from ½ lemon and seeds from ⅓ vanilla bean on low speed to soften. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the cheese is smooth. Scrape the bowl thoroughly to avoid lumps. Add 2 oz mascarpone cheese and mix until smooth. Scrape the bowl again to make sure no lumps remain.
- With the mixer running on low, add 3 oz confectioners sugar. Scrape the bowl again. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 1 minute to lighten. Remove the bowl from the mixer. In a separate bowl, whip 8 oz heavy cream to full peak. Fold ⅓ of the whipped cream into the cheese mixture to lighten. Add the remaining whipped cream in two batches.
- Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth lined dish and smooth to even out the top. Rap the dish on the counter a couple to times to eliminate any air pockets. Cover the top with the edges of the cheesecloth and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably over night.
Candied Rose Petals
- Set up three bowls, one with Petals from 1 large rose, one with 2 pasteurized egg whites and one with 8 oz superfine granulated sugar.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Dip each rose petal into the egg whites and use your fingers to spread the whites all over both sides. Allow any excess to drip off. You want a thin coating of egg whites. Drop the petal into the sugar and toss to completely coat. Set on the sheet pan to dry for at least 4 hours.
Sauce & Serve
- Puree12 oz frozen raspberries in a food processor or blender. To remove the seeds, run through a sieve or the fruit strainer attachment of your mixer. Combine the raspberry puree with 4 oz superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon rosewater. Adjust the amount of sugar and rose water to your taste.
- Unmold the Coeur a la Creme onto a serving platter with raised sides or a shallow bowl. Pour the sauce around the Coeur. Arrange the rose petals and raspberries to garnish.
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Eileen, can you eat those rose petals? will any rose do for making the sugar petals?
Yes! Gently wash the petals to remove any chemicals or dirt and let them air dry. Any rose variety will do.
Your recipes are always so unique. Can’t wait to try this. Looks absolutely beautiful!
Thanks! It’s remarkably easy to make too.
Wow, this looks totally amazing. Probably for an experienced baker not a beginner like me!
Hi Elena, Actually, the cream heart has only 6 ingredients and doesn’t require any baking at all and the sauce is just pureed raspberries with a little sugar and rosewater. The whole thing is super simple and requires absolutely no cooking or baking. The rose petals are a little fussier, but they’re mostly for decoration. Hope you give it a try sometime! Thanks for reading and commenting!
Eileen