Easy Vanilla Pastry Cream
Vanilla pastry cream is a basic custard that you can use in lots of desserts. It is thick, smooth, and holds its shape once chilled. This is a reliable base recipe that is great to have in your back pocket. I use it all the time! It’s a perfect filling for custard doughnuts, French fruit tarts, cream puffs, banana cream pie, Boston cream pie, and more!
About this recipe
This vanilla pastry cream is made on the stove top with whole milk for a smooth texture, a good amount of vanilla for depth, and cornstarch for the thickener. The method is simple too. Warm the milk, whisk the yolks and sugar, temper, then cook until it reaches a full simmer. The butter added at the end gives it a glossy finish and helps it set cleanly in the fridge. You can keep it plain or use it as a base for loads of variations.
Just a few ingredients
Method
- Warm the milk until it just simmers. You’re looking for tiny bubbles around the edge.
- Mix the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and cornstarch until smooth and glossy.
- Gradually add half of the hot milk mixture to your egg yolk mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly. This prevents the eggs from scrambling.
- Put it back on the stove and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens.
- Remove from heat and stir the butter into the hot custard, then pour in a bowl to cool.
Tips & Tricks
- Cook it long enough: You’ve got to cook your creme patissiere for the right length of time because an enzyme called amylase in egg yolks that can thin out your custard as it cools by breaking down the starch. So once your mixture thickens and starts to bubble, keep cooking and whisking it for a full minute. This will deactivate the amylase and ensuring your custard stays beautifully thick and creamy..
- Strain for smoothness: For an ultra-smooth pastry cream, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve.
Variations
- Citrus pastry cream: Infuse the milk with lemon, orange, or lime zest for a citrusy flavour.
- Coffee-Infused: Add strong brewed espresso to the milk mixture when heating it.
- Pistachio pastry cream: Mix in finely ground pistachio paste for a unique and nutty variation.
- Salted Caramel: Swirl in caramel sauce and a pinch of sea salt for a sweet and salty flavour.
FAQS
Yes, you can make crème pâtissière up to two days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Lumps in crème pâtissière usually occur due to not properly tempering of the eggs or heating the mixture too quickly (which causes the cornflour to become lumpy.) To fix this, you can pass the finished cream through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
I don’t recommend it, as it changes the texture, and makes it watery or grainy once thawed. However, if you do freeze it, you can bring it back to a good enough consistency by reheating and whisking it.
Vanilla Pastry Cream
Ingredients
- 480 g whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 65 g granulated sugar
- 30 g cornstarch
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 whole vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 45 g butter
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until it is just at a simmer but don't let it boil. 480 g whole milk
- While the milk is warming, add the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and salt in a separate bowl until smooth.4 large egg yolks2 tsp vanilla bean paste, 65 g granulated sugar, 30 g cornstarch, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Place the bowl on a dampened kitchen towel to prevent slipping. Add the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture in a steady stream while whisking.
- Return the combined mixture to the saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until it bubbles. Once it starts bubbling, it will begin to thicken. Keep it at a bubble don't stop whisking for 1 minute.
- Take it off the heat and whisk in the butter until thoroughly combined. Pour the hot pastry cream into a clean bowl. If you want an extra silky smooth texture, you can push it through a fine mesh sieve first. 45 g butter
- Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to avoid a skin forming. Let it come to room temperature, then chill it in the refrigerator until completely cold.
- When ready to use, give it a whisk to loosen it up again, as it will get very thick in the fridge. Pastry cream can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
