Baking

Puff Pastry Cream Horns: Flaky Shells. Silky Cream. Pure Joy.

2 min

Wrap the pastry strip starting at the pointed tip of the mold and let each turn overlap the last by about half its width, so there are no gaps for steam to blow open. Keep the seam underneath when you set the horns on the parchment and they hold their spiral through the oven. The shells need to cool completely before any cream goes in, and the filling waits until you're nearly ready to serve. Mascarpone folded into the whipped cream at the end keeps it pipeable instead of loose.

By Nora Calloway

A little backstory

Cream horns are an old European baking-counter staple, sold in British and Central European bakeries as "cream horns" or, in the German tradition, as Schillerlocken. The conical metal molds, called cream horn or lady lock tubes, are what made the shape repeatable at home. The mascarpone-spiked filling here is a modern touch; the classic versions leaned on plain sweetened whipped cream or a jam-and-cream layer.

Cream horns look fancy. They’re actually puff pastry and a secret.

Flaky, buttery pastry wrapped around cream horn molds. Baked until golden. Filled with silky vanilla cream. Dusted with powdered sugar. 45 minutes. Your guests will be impressed. Your secret is safe.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1 1

Preheat and Prep

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Lightly grease cream horn molds.

2 2

Cut the Pastry

Roll puff pastry slightly. Cut into 12 strips (about ½ inch wide and 12 inches long).

3 3

Wrap Around Molds

Starting at the tip, wrap each pastry strip around a cream horn mold, overlapping slightly.

Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

4 4

Bake

Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown and puffed.

Cool 5 minutes. Slide molds out. Cool completely on wire rack.

5 5

Make the Filling

Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.

Fold in mascarpone cheese until smooth.

6 6

Fill and Dust

Pipe filling into cooled pastry shells.

Dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Summary

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 12-15 minutes | Total Time: 35-45 minutes

Yield: 12 cream horns

Difficulty: Medium (worth it)

Storage Notes

Best Fresh:

Fill right before serving. Filled horns get soggy.

Make Ahead:

Bake shells 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container. Fill fresh.

Pro Tip:

No molds? Use cannoli tubes or clean metal spice jars wrapped in foil.

The Ingredients

Everything you need.

Prep

20 minutes

Cook

12-15 minutes

Total

35-45 minutes

Yield

12 cream horns

Ingredients

Makes 12 cream horns.

2 sheets frozen puff pastry (thawed)
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Coarse sugar or pearl sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Powdered sugar for dusting
12 cream horn molds (or cannoli tubes)

For the Vanilla Cream Filling:

1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese, softened)

Instructions

1
Preheat and Prep. Preheat and Prep. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment. Lightly grease cream horn molds. 2 2
2
Cut the Pastry. Cut the Pastry. Roll puff pastry slightly. Cut into 12 strips (about ½ inch wide and 12 inches long). 3 3
3
Wrap Around Molds. Wrap Around Molds. Starting at the tip, wrap each pastry strip around a cream horn mold, overlapping slightly. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. 4 4
4
Bake. Bake. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Cool 5 minutes. Slide molds out. Cool completely on wire rack. 5 5
5
Make the Filling. Make the Filling. Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold in mascarpone cheese until smooth. 6 6
6
Fill and Dust. Fill and Dust. Pipe filling into cooled pastry shells. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately
7
Best Fresh:. Best Fresh:. Fill right before serving. Filled horns get soggy
8
Make Ahead:. Make Ahead:. Bake shells 3 days ahead. Store in airtight container. Fill fresh
9
Pro Tip:. Pro Tip:. No molds? Use cannoli tubes or clean metal spice jars wrapped in foil

Swaps & Substitutions

Mascarpone → softened cream cheese works and is what the recipe calls for as the backup; it reads a touch tangier and slightly firmer.
Heavy cream → chilled full-fat coconut cream whips for a dairy-free version, though it sets softer and carries a faint coconut note.
Cream horn molds → cannoli tubes do the same job; in a pinch, roll cones from heavy foil, but expect less even browning.
Coarse or pearl sugar → skip it and dust with powdered sugar after baking; the crunch is nice but not essential.
Frozen puff pastry → all-butter puff pastry browns deeper and tastes better than the shortening kind if you can find it.
Vanilla extract → the scraped seeds of half a vanilla bean, or a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, both fine swaps.

Questions & Answers

Can I bake the shells ahead of time?

Yes. The shells keep up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Fill them right before serving so they stay crisp.

Why did my horns unravel in the oven?

The strips weren't overlapping enough, or the seam wasn't tucked underneath. Overlap each wrap by about half the strip's width and set the seam side down on the pan.

Why is my filling runny instead of holding its shape?

The cream wasn't whipped to stiff peaks before the mascarpone went in, or the mascarpone was overworked. Whip to firm peaks first, then fold the mascarpone in just until smooth.

Why did my filled horns go soggy?

Cream sitting in the shell softens the pastry within an hour or two. Pipe the filling in just before serving; if you must hold them, keep shells and filling separate until the last minute.

How do I get the shells off the molds without breaking them?

Let them cool on the molds for about 5 minutes so the pastry sets, then twist the mold gently and slide it out. Cool the empty shells fully on a wire rack before filling.

Puff Pastry Cream Horns: Flaky Shells. Silky Cream. Pure Joy.