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crema pasticcera, italian pastry cream or custard.

Crema Pasticcera - Italian Pastry Cream

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 116kcal
Crema pasticcera, Italian pastry cream, is a vanilla cream filling for cakes, pastries, and more. Ready in 15 min with this fool-proof method!
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Ingredients

  • 6 medium egg yolks
  • 160 g sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 30 g cornflour
  • 500 ml fresh whole milk

Instructions

  • Whisk the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla for about 2 minutes, until you get a light, fluffy mixture.
  • Slowly incorporate sifted cornflour into the egg mixture, and whisk until it’s fluffy, smooth and well combined, about 2 minutes.
  • Heat the milk over low heat until you see the first bubbles, then remove it immediately from the heat.
  • Drop the egg mixture gently over the hot milk and return the pan over low heat. Do not stir.
  • Wait a few seconds, the egg mixture will float over the milk surface (because the whipped mixture has incorporated enough air to remain on the surface).
  • In about 30 seconds milk bubbles will pierce the surface of the egg mixture and it will slowly incorporate it.
  • When most of the surface is covered with milk, turn the heat off, take the pan away from the heat, and immediately whisk the mixture vigorously for about 30 seconds.
  • While you whisk, the mixture will almost immediately turn into pastry cream. It should be thick, creamy and smooth.
  • Transfer your crema pasticcera into a ceramic or glass casserole dish or a baking pan, and cover with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the surface of the cream.
  • Once cooled down, the crema pasticcera has a thick smooth texture and holds its shape, and it’s ready to be served or used in other dessert recipes.

Notes

  • If you use flour instead of cornflour, you need to cook the cream for a few minutes, bringing it over 85° C, stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking. This can easily result in a lumpy cream or an overcooked cream, so be careful. This won’t happen with cornflour, which makes the recipe faster and easier, and naturally gluten-free.
  • Remember to remove the egg and milk mixture immediately from the heat right before you whisk the cream, to avoid cooking the mixture (a mistake that can turn your cream grainy or lumpy). 
  • If the mixture still appears unstructured, move away from the heat anyway, turn quickly and place it again on the stove for a few seconds on very low heat.
  • Using a baking dish or pan to cool down the cream will make it cool down and set much more quickly than in a bowl. 
  • Cover the prepared pastry cream with plastic wrap making sure it adheres perfectly to the surface of the cream. Otherwise, as the pastry cream cools down and gets in contact with air, it will form a thin crust over the surface.  

Nutrition

Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg