The pastry cream (Crème pâtissière) is a basic French pastry cream, very simple to make. It’s a must-have recipe in pastry-making, as it’s used in the composition of many other creams. It is used to prepare desserts and fill cakes, choux pastries, tarts, etc… It’s creamy, unctuous and deliciously indulgent.
Light and easy pastry cream
Today, a basic pastry recipe, pastry cream, which is used as a component in many other commonly used creams. This is the cream used to garnish many pastries, such as mille feuille, strawberry tart, choux pastries, etc.
Vanilla pastry cream is my favorite custard, and I’m sure it’s the same for most people. This was the first cream I made when I started baking.
In fact, it’s the first cream taught in pastry schools. This is only to be expected, because without it, we couldn’t make a whole range of creams in which it is the main ingredient.
A simple pie crust topped with this cream and a few pieces of fruit, and you’ve got an excellent, delicious dessert.
Custard-based creams :
Table of Contents
| → Diplomat cream : We add whipped cream to it (used in strawberry cake for example)→ The mousseline cream: Butter is added (used in fraisier cake, paris brest etc…) → Frangipane cream : It is made with almond cream (used in galette des rois, tarts etc.) → The chiboust cream : Italian meringue (used in St honorée, for example) is added to it. |
Tips and tricks
It’s not difficult to make. I’d go so far as to say it’s the easiest cream to make, but you still have to be careful to pasteurize the custard and cook it properly.
It is not enough to thicken it on the stove but to let it cook 1 min 30 more to pasteurize it. You’ll know it’s well cooked when it starts to boil and form bursting air bubbles.
Put a little sugar in the bottom of the saucepan to prevent the cream from sticking. Whisk constantly to avoid lumps and achieve a smooth pastry cream. By following the step-by-step instructions with images, you won’t risk failing it.
foolproof pastry cream
After cooking, pour the custard into a large dish to cool quickly. You need to cover it with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent it from forming a skin, and store it in the refrigerator.
The addition of butter is not obligatory, but it adds creaminess and gloss.
You can use only cornstarch or just flour. It is lighter with cornstarch and firmer with flour. A mixture of the two makes a superb light custard.
You can also reduce the total of flour and cornstarch to 50 g per 1/2 liter of milk if you don’t use butter.
How to flavor it
- Vanilla custard is the most popular. Infuse the seeds of a good vanilla pod in the milk before making the recipe. If vanilla pods are not available, replace 30 g ( 1 oz ) of sugar with vanilla sugar.
- You can flavor it differently by infusing the milk with lemon verbena, tonka bean, orange or lemon zest.
- For a chocolate pastry cream, add 100 to 150 g (3.5 oz to 5.3 oz ) of melted dark or milk chocolate.
- Pistachio custard, add 2 large spoonfuls (30 g) (1 oz ) more or less pistachio paste to taste.
- For a praline pastry cream add 50 g to 100 g (1.8 oz to 3.5 oz ) of praline.
- For a caramel pastry cream, add either 100 to 150 g (3.5 oz to 5.3 oz ) of caramelia chocolate or salted butter caramel to taste.
Classic pastry cream recipe
Can you make a fruit custard
Yes, just replace all the milk with the same amount of fruit coulis or replace some of it.
Do not use butter in the fruit custard.
For a better consistency, add 2 to 4 g of rehydrated gelatin in water (1 to 2 gelatin sheets).
You can make a custard with raspberries, strawberries, passion fruit etc… as well as mousseline cream or diplomat cream with fruit.
This way, you can vary the flavors of your cakes, especially the trendy number cake.
Can it be made with whole eggs, egg yolks or a mixture of the two
I always make this cream with egg yolks and sometimes with a mixture of the two. The custard is firmer, smoother and silkier.
However, using whole eggs doesn’t make a significant difference, and you can choose this option for cost savings.
How to prepare this pastry cream
You’ll find all the ingredients in the recipe card below, which you can print out.
The preparation steps in pictures
Put a little sugar in a saucepan and pour the milk over it, then scrape out the seeds from the vanilla pod and add them and the bark to the milk. Adding a little sugar at the start will prevent the cream from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.
Bring to heat and warm it up a bit without boiling. Remove from the heat, cover with plastic wrap, and let it infuse for at least 30 minutes.
Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale. You can use a magic or a regular whisk.
Sift in the cornstarch and flour. whisk to smooth and combine. Do not overwhisk.
Bring the milk to the boil. Remove just before boiling, and pour a little over the egg mixture through a sieve. Mix well to blend the egg mixture with the milk.
Add the remaining milk, stir and transfer to the saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. The cream will thicken gradually. Do not stop cooking just after it has thickened, wait another minute. Remove the pastry cream from heat when it starts to form air bubbles. Stop whisking occasionally to check its progress.
Boil the cream for 1 min 30 to pasteurize it and prevent bacteria from developing.
Off the heat, add the butter and stir to incorporate.
Pour the custard into a large dish to cool quickly. Cover it with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent it from forming a skin on top.
You can prepare it the day before for the next day. You will just need to whisk it to loosen and smooth it before using it in other creams or to fill cakes.
Easy pastry cream (crème pâtissière recipe)
Ingredients :
- 500 ml milk
- 120 g caster sugar (4.2 oz )
- 4 or 5 egg yolks depending on size ( 100 g ) (3.5 oz)
- 1 vanilla pod
- 50 g butter (1.7 oz)
- 30 g flour (1 oz)
- 30 g cornstarch (1 oz )
Instructions :
- Put a little sugar in a saucepan and pour the milk over it, then scrape out the seeds from the vanilla pod and add them and the bark to the milk. Adding a little sugar at the start will prevent the cream from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.
- Bring to heat and warm it up a bit without boiling. Remove from the heat, cover with plastic wrap, and let it infuse for at least 30 minutes.
- Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale. You can use a magic or a regular whisk.
- Sift in the cornstarch and flour. whisk to smooth and combine. Do not overwhisk.
- Bring the milk to the boil. Remove just before boiling, and pour a little over the egg mixture through a sieve. Mix well to blend the egg mixture with the milk.
- Add the remaining milk, stir and transfer to the saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. The cream will thicken gradually. Do not stop cooking just after it has thickened, wait another minute. Remove the pastry cream from heat when it starts to form air bubbles. Stop whisking occasionally to check its progress.
- Boil the cream for 1 min 30 to pasteurize it and prevent bacteria from developing.
- Off the heat, add the butter and stir to incorporate.
- Pour the custard into a large dish to cool quickly. Cover it with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent it from forming a skin on top.
- You can prepare it the day before for the next day. You will just need to whisk it to loosen and smooth it before using it in other creams or to fill cakes.
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