2. What is Croquembouche?

Croquembouche [also less commonly written croqu'en-bouche, croque-en-bouche or croquenbouche] is a type of pièce montée which consists of profiteroles or choux pastry assembled in a tower shape.

This funny name comes from the French (isn’t that obvious enough…) phrase “croque en bouche” [(something that) crunches in the mouth]. As it became one word, the “en” became “em” as it precedes the “b” from bouche. If you need French lessons in Perth, you can always check our language page...

Each choux is filled with chantilly or flavoured pastry cream (Crème Pâtissière) also called Confectioner's custard. While the most traditional flavour would be vanilla, chocolate flavour often creates an extra satisfaction. Liquor based flavours such as cointreau are also very common. The pièce montée typically sits on a nougatine base and is traditionally covered with caramel or toffee accompanied with decorations making the masterpiece a thrill for the eyes.

3. When to have Croquembouche?

Croquembouche is probably the most famous wedding cake in France and is increasingly served at wedding receptions in Perth. No doubt that MasterChef Australia did contribute to this phenomenon as they regularly bring the confection as a challenge to the contestants. Croquembouche is also very popular for baptisms, first communions and other family celebrations. As it is easily scalable, croquembouche constitutes a perfect dessert for cocktails and events with more than 10 peoples.

4. How big is it?

Typically the smallest croquembouche would be made of 30 profiteroles. Since each choux puff is about the size of a couple of bites, you would need to consider two to three choux pastries per person for sit down occasions down to one per person for standup parties.

5. How much does it cost?

The price of the Croquembouche can vary depending on shops, which chef is involved and the ingredients used.

A typical budget would be around A$3 per profiterole. However, economy of scale may bring it down slightly depending on the size of the pièce montée. For ten people at a family reception, you would typically need to consider about A$100.

7 questions & answers about Croquembouche
including where to find it in Perth and Fremantle

7. How to order?

Patisserie shops usually recommend a one week notice even though some may be more flexible depending on their workload.

When ordering, you will obviously need to know the number of people and any special decoration requirement you may want. Don't forget to ask about the options. The type of pastry cream for instance can make a lot of difference and while some of the shops don’t list all available variations, they don't mind accommodating customer’ preferences on special orders.

When picking the pièce montée up, we would recommend having a passenger to hold it as the shape and size can be challenging to transport.

1. Where to find it in Perth and Fremantle?

We have referenced in the below section French and French inspired patisserie shops where you can find Croquembouche in Perth and Fremantle.

last updated 14-Feb-2017

6. Can I cook it?

Croquembouche is quite an elaborate French confection and is not easy to prepare. We would strongly recommend you to take a class at the Sweet Artist Academy in Perth before trying it for the first time… Once you have been taught, like everything in cooking, it is mainly a matter of time and patience. You can find Croquembouche cooking classes in Perth on our courses and classes page.