If you’ve ever bitten into a creamy éclair or a silky fruit tart, you’ve already met one of pastry’s greatest secrets: pastry cream. Also known as crème pâtissière, this rich, velvety custard is a cornerstone of classic baking. Whether you’re filling choux pastry, layering a cake, or making homemade donuts, a perfect pastry cream can take your desserts to the next level. In this post, I’ll show you how to make it from scratch—no fuss, just foolproof results.
🧾 Ingredients :
- Whole milk – 2¼ cups (500 g)
- Sugar – ⅔ cup (130 g)
- Egg yolks – 7 yolks (125 g)
- Rice starch – ⅓ cup (40 g)
- Vanilla beans – 2, split and scraped
- Lemon peel – from 1 lemon (use only the yellow zest, no white pith)
👩🍳 Preparation: How to Make Pastry Cream :
To begin preparing the pastry cream, place a glass bowl in the freezer to chill—it will help cool the cream quickly later. Meanwhile, split the vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds. Cut the emptied pods into smaller pieces. Pour the milk into a saucepan, then add both the vanilla seeds and the chopped pods to infuse the milk with deep, aromatic flavor.
Next, peel the lemon, making sure to take only the yellow outer zest, avoiding the bitter white pith. Add the zest to the saucepan with the milk and vanilla. Turn on the heat and bring everything to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. While the milk mixture heats, place the egg yolks, sugar, and rice starch into another saucepan. Whisk gently with a soft whisk until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy, with no lumps.
As the milk mixture reaches a near-boil, remove it from the heat. Slowly pour it into the yolk mixture in three additions, straining it through a fine mesh sieve each time to remove the lemon zest and vanilla pods. Whisk continuously while adding to prevent the eggs from curdling. Once fully combined, return the mixture to the heat and cook over medium-low, stirring constantly until the cream thickens to a smooth, custard-like consistency.
To cool the pastry cream quickly and preserve its texture, remove the chilled bowl from the freezer and pour the hot cream into it. Whisk vigorously to release the heat, bringing the temperature down to about 120°F (50°C)—just below the cooking point. The cream should now be smooth, glossy, and lump-free. At this stage, your pastry cream is ready to use. If you’re not using it right away, cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until needed.
💡 Tips for Perfect Pastry Cream
- For a softer, silkier texture, use rice starch, which gives the cream a delicate, smooth finish.
- Prefer a firmer cream? Simply substitute the same amount of cornstarch for a thicker, more stable consistency—ideal for filling cakes or piping into pastries.
