Pastry Cream Recipe

A simple yet delicious recipe for Creme Patissiere (Vanilla Pastry Cream) – a rich and creamy custard used in many types of dessert! This recipe is gluten free, and also dairy free friendly. If you’re looking for chocolate pastry cream, you can find that recipe right here.

pastry cream recipe

Creme Patissiere (Vanilla Pastry Cream)

pastry cream recipe

Creamy vanilla pastry cream, used in many types of dessert. Perfect for profiteroles and eclairs. This recipe is gluten free, and also dairy free friendly.Easy – This is an easy recipe, but requires constant supervision. Please read the recipe fully before proceeding. Please use weight measurements for accurate, consistent results. US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions. Please use the weight measurement toggle button below the ingredients list for measurement conversions.

Prep: 10min

Total: 520min

Yield: 14

Serving Size: 50 g

Nutrition Facts: calories 59 kcal, Carbohydrate 5 g, Protein 1 g, Fat 3 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 44 mg, Sodium 15 mg, Sugar 4 g, servingSize 50 g

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups milk
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
  • 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste / extract / 1 vanilla bean pod
  • 4 large egg yolks (about 20 g each (please see recipe notes))
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)

Instruction:

  1. If using vanilla bean pods, split the bean and scrape the vanilla seeds/caviar out of the beans.
  2. Add the bean and caviar with the milk into a saucepan. Heat the milk over medium high heat and bring it to a simmer, almost to a boil (see recipe notes).
  3. While heating the milk, place the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Whisk until you have a thick, smooth mix. (If you’re using vanilla bean paste or extract, add it to the egg mix too). Place the bowl with the egg mix on a towel or napkin (to prevent the bowl from slipping while whisking, in the next step), and set aside until the milk comes to a boil (almost to a boil).
  4. As soon as the milk starts to steam or simmer, remove it from the heat. Slowly pour about a half of the hot milk in a thin stream into the egg mix, WHILE WHISKING CONSTANTLY to temper the egg mix. When the eggs have been tempered, add the egg mix back into the hot milk in the saucepan.
  5. Heat the custard base, over medium heat, while whisking vigorously until it starts to thicken – this should take about 1 – 2 minutes depending on the heat of your stove and size of your saucepan. Make sure to reach the corners of the saucepan so that the custard does not catch at the bottom of the pan.
  6. While whisking, let the custard come to a boil (the custard will release bubbles). You may need to stop whisking from time to time for a few seconds to see if the custard is “bubbling”. Look for big “bloops” breaking the surface of the custard.
  7. Lower the heat and cook for a further 1 – 2 minutes after you see the first bubbles break the surface, and make sure to whisk constantly.
  8. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Whisk in the butter, until it’s completely mixed in.
  9. Pour the custard into a bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap is touching the whole surface. This is to prevent a custard skin from forming on top. You can also choose to pass the custard through a sieve to remove any lumps.
  10. Let the custard cool down to room temperature and then let it chill in the fridge for a few hours, until it’s completely chilled.
  11. The custard will have “set” after chilling. So it is important to whisk the pastry cream to make it smooth before using.
  12. Use as needed after the pastry cream has been chilled.

Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

pastry cream recipe

This rich, creamy filling, pastry cream (crème pâtissière), while delicious as is, can also be flavored in an almost infinite number of ways to create the perfect complement to your cake, pie, or pastry. Make sure you have all of your ingredients and equipment on hand before you begin; once the egg yolks begin to cook, they won’t wait for you to find your strainer!

Prep: 20min

Total: 45min

Yield: 10

Nutrition Facts: servingSize [‘1/2 cup’, ‘125 g’], calories 245 calories, Carbohydrate 18g, Cholesterol 139mg, Fiber 0g, Protein 4g, Sodium 109mg, Sugar 14g, Fat 18g, Saturated Fat 11g, Trans Fat 0g

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups (680g) milk whole preferred; divided
  • 1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar*
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract or 1/2 vanilla bean slit lengthwise
  • 1/4 cup (28g) cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 4 tablespoons (57g) butter
  • 1 cup (227g) heavy cream whipped to soft peaks; optional for a softer filling

Instruction:

In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together 2 1/2 cups (568g) of the milk, the sugar, salt, and the vanilla bean. (If you’re using vanilla extract or Vanilla Bean Crush, add it at the end.) Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar., Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, flour, and egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup (113g) milk., Whisk some of the hot milk mixture with the egg yolks to temper them. This keeps the yolks from turning to scrambled eggs when you add them to the simmering milk., Pour the egg/milk mixture back into the remaining simmering milk. Doing this through a strainer will help prevent lumps later. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the mixture thickens and boils in the center of the saucepan. The mixture should measure 200°F on a digital thermometer., Remove from the heat and strain through a fine strainer into a bowl set in an ice bath. Stir in the butter and vanilla extract. If you’re going to flavor the pastry cream with chocolate or some other flavor, this is the time to do it (see variations below)., Rub a piece of butter over the surface of the cream, top with a piece of plastic wrap (make sure it touches the top of the pastry cream so it doesn’t develop a skin), then refrigerate until cool., Use the chilled pastry cream as is for a sliceable cream pie or as a stiff filling for éclairs. (Pastry cream that has been chilled may have to be transferred to a bowl and re-whipped to return it to a smooth consistency.) For a softer filling, fold in the whipped cream just before using., Pastry cream will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. After that it may start to weep.

Pastry Cream Recipe

pastry cream recipe

Pastry cream is a staple recipe for bakers and this version is our go-to. It’s easy to make and you don’t need any fancy equipment, just a saucepan, and a whisk. Serve this over a Tart Crust for the best Fruit Tart or pipe it into Eclairs or Cream Puffs.

Prep: 15min

Total: 145min

Yield: 8

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 229 kcal, Carbohydrate 18 g, Protein 3 g, Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 10 g, Trans Fat 0.1 g, Cholesterol 114 mg, Sodium 67 mg, Fiber 0.03 g, Sugar 15 g, unSaturated Fat 5 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole large egg
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instruction:

  1. In a medium, heat-proof mixing bowl, combine egg, yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt, and whisk vigorously until completely smooth and lightened in color, 2 minutes.
  2. In a large saucepan add milk, heavy cream and butter and heat over medium heat until it just starts to boil, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from scalding or a film from forming. As soon as it starts to boil, remove from heat.
  3. While whisking the egg mixture constantly, slowly drizzle in 1/3 of the hot milk mixture. This slow process of adding milk or tempering the eggs ensures you don’t scramble the eggs.
  4. Pour the warm egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and whisk to combine. Set over medium heat and whisk constantly until thickened, about 2 minutes. The cream will thicken quickly but you want to give it a chance to cook off the corn starch so the cream doesn’t separate. Stop mixing for a few seconds and as soon as you see it’s starting to boil, reduce the heat to keep it at a very low boil and continue whisking vigorously for 1 minute. When it’s done, the cream should be thickened, smooth and glossy.
  5. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract. Transfer cream to a shallow bowl and place plastic wrap directly over the surface of the hot cream to prevent a skin from forming and let it come to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days ahead.

How to Make Pastry Cream | The MOST Delicious Thing Ever!!!

FAQ

What is the difference between pastry cream and custard?

What is Pastry Cream? Pastry Cream is a custard. A custard is simply a liquid (often a dairy product) that is thickened with eggs. Creme Anglaise is a custard sauce, and Lemon curd is a custard made with fruit juice.

Is Bavarian cream the same as pastry cream?

Pastry cream is not the same as Bavarian cream. Pastry cream uses different ingredients such as butter, cornstarch and milk instead of gelatin, heavy cream, and egg yolks. Like Bavarian cream, you can use pastry cream to stuff desserts, cakes, and donuts.

What are the two basic pastry creams?

We present to you the 10 types of creams most used in pastry!
  • Whipped cream. Simply whipped cream, this cream can be used in both savory preparations and in baking.
  • Whipped cream. It’s the sweet version of whipped cream. …
  • Custard. …
  • Sabayon cream. …
  • La crème au beurre. …
  • Custard. …
  • The muslin cream. …
  • The diplomat cream.

What is pastry cream made of?

At its most basic, pastry cream is a combination of milk, eggs, and starch that are cooked together to create a rich and thick custard that’s a workhorse in the baker’s kitchen.

About the author

Helen is an author and editor at helenbackcafe.com, who has a passion for writing about recipes. She loves to experiment with different ingredients and cooking techniques to create delicious and unique dishes.

Among all the foods, pizza holds a special place in her heart, and she loves exploring different variations and toppings to create the perfect slice. Through her writing, Helen hopes to inspire others to get creative in the kitchen and share their love for food with the world.

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