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close up of shiny pastry cream

Perfect Pastry Cream

Try this amazing pastry cream you can use for any cake and dessert such as fruit tarts, cream puffs, eclairs, donuts, a frasier cake, pies, and so many more!
Author ayacaliva
Total Time 20 minutes
Course filling, pastry cream
Servings 12

Equipment

  • Pot
  • Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Spatula
  • Strainer
  • Hand blender optional

Ingredients

  • 14.1 oz Whole Milk 1 ⅔ US cups
  • ½ pod Vanilla beans or ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 3.5 oz Granulated sugar ½ US cup
  • 4 yolks Egg yolk
  • A pinch Salt
  • 0.7 oz Cornstarch 2.5 tablespoon * Level the surface.
  • 0.7 oz All-purpose flour 2.5 Tbsp
  • 1 oz Butter 2 Tbsp

Instructions
 

  • Heat milk, vanilla, and about half of the sugar in a pot until it simmers.
    14.1 oz Whole Milk, ½ pod Vanilla beans
    adding sugar in milk in. apot
  • Mix yolks, the rest of the sugar, and salt in a bowl until it looks pale.
    And add flour and mix well.
    4 yolks Egg yolk, A pinch Salt, 0.7 oz Cornstarch, 0.7 oz All-purpose flour, 3.5 oz Granulated sugar
    the batter of sugar, yolks and flour
  • Combine the milk and yolk mixture:
    Add a small amount of milk first and mix until it gets even.
    And add the rest, dividing it into a few more times.
    adding milk in yolk mixture to make pastry cream
  • Heat it at medium heat while mixing constantly:
    Mix fast, evenly, and constantly to prevent it from getting lumpy and burnt.
    When you find it challenging to keep going, try this:
    1. Remove it from the heat for a second when it starts getting thick very slightly.
    2. Mix fast until it gets smooth.
    3. And put it back in the heat to cook more.
    After it starts boiling, continue heating while mixing constantly until it gets looser and shinier (Usually another 45 seconds with one batch.)
    heating pastry cream in a pot over mixing
  • Remove from the heat and add butter.
    1 oz Butter
    adding butter in pastry cream
  • Strain it.
    straining pastry cream
  • Emulsify it with a hand blender. (Optional)
    emulsifying pastry cream with a hand blender
  • Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge. (1 - 2 hours)
    set pastry cream in a fridge
  • It should look rubbery. Mix well until it looks smooth and shiny.
    mixing cold pastry cream

Video

Notes

How to store it:

You can store it in an air-tight container in a fridge for up to 5 days.
Use it within 1 - 2 days for the best taste.
 
** For best results, measure ingredients with a scale. All recipes are designed with weighed ingredients using grams/ounces. Cup measurements are provided for your convenience. **

Nutrition

Calories: 108kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 203IU | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!