Crema Pasticcera (Italian Pastry Cream) Recipe
Crema Pasticcera, or Italian pastry cream, is a rich and velvety custard made from milk, cream, egg yolks, and a combination of flours. Perfectly smooth and infused with vanilla, this classic dessert component is thickened on the stovetop and chilled until set, making it ideal for filling tarts, cakes, and pastries.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: About 3 cups (serves 6) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
Liquid Ingredients
- 1 cup whole or 2% milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup milk (separate from the above)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon all‑purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Eggs
- 5 large egg yolks, room temperature
Instructions
- Heat Milk and Cream: Whisk together ½ cup milk, heavy cream, and granulated sugar in a saucepan. Gently heat over medium, stirring occasionally until the mixture just steams but does not boil, then remove from heat.
- Prepare Egg Mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk together the 5 large egg yolks, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and the remaining ½ cup milk until smooth and free of lumps.
- Temper Eggs: Gradually whisk a few tablespoons of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture to temper the eggs and prevent curdling. Then strain the combined mixture through a fine sieve back into the saucepan to ensure smoothness.
- Cook Custard: Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook the custard, stirring constantly until it comes to a gentle simmer and thickens, which takes about one minute. Immediately remove from heat to prevent overcooking.
- Cool and Flavor: Pour the custard through a sieve into a bowl set over an ice bath. Stir in the salted butter and vanilla extract until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Chill: Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours until fully chilled and set.
Notes
- Use room temperature egg yolks to ensure smooth blending and prevent curdling when tempered.
- Do not boil the milk and cream mixture; heating until steaming is sufficient.
- Constant stirring during cooking is crucial to prevent lumps and scorching.
- Plastic wrap placed directly on the surface prevents a crust or skin from forming as the cream cools.
- Store pastry cream in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days; avoid freezing as it changes texture.
Keywords: Crema Pasticcera, Italian pastry cream, custard, dessert filling, vanilla cream, stovetop custard
