CategoriesBasic Recipes
May 8, 2025
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Pastry Cream

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Pastry Cream

Here's an essential basic recipe: crème pâtissière. But also how to flavour it with pistachio, praline, chocolate, etc.
It's a cream that forms the basis of many other preparations: by mixing it with whipped cream, you obtain a crème diplomate. Mixed hot with Italian meringue, it makes a chiboust cream. With buttercream, you get a crème mousseline. Finally, with a ratio of 1/3 pastry and 2/3 almond cream, you get the famous frangipane cream used in galettes!
As for the famous cream powder used in pastry cream recipes, it's nothing more or less than cornstarch, vanilla flavoring and colorants. So you can easily do without it and use only cornstarch (or corn starch, which is exactly the same thing).
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Ingredients
  

  • 250 g milk
  • 2 to 3 egg yolks ideally 50 g
  • 50 g sugar
  • 20 g cornstarch or cream powder

Instructions
 

  • Bring the milk to the boil.
  • Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch until smooth and lump-free.
  • Pour a little of the milk over the mixture to loosen it. Stir and add the rest of the milk.
  • Pour the mixture back into the pan and bring to the boil.
  • Keep the heat on medium to avoid burning the bottom of the pan. Don't stop stirring for the same reason.
  • Once your cream starts to boil slightly, continue cooking for a minute or so. This ensures even cooking of the starch.
  • Immediately pour your crème pâtissière into a gratin dish or large bowl. Cover with cling film to prevent it from drying out and forming a crust.
  • I leave the cream to cool for around ten minutes at room temperature, then keep it in the fridge. A crème pâtissière can generally be kept for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
  • Flavoring your pastry cream:
  • Although I specify that you should mix the ingredients while your cream is still warm, you can do it cold if you've forgotten. Simply loosen your pastry or melted chocolate with a little of your pastry cream before adding the rest and mixing well with a whisk.
  • Quantities are made for a pastry cream weight of around 350 g (which is what you get with the recipe I gave).
  • With vanilla:
  • Simply use half a vanilla pod. Split the pod in half and scrape it out, then add it to the milk. You can leave the pod to infuse throughout the cooking process, and even afterwards. I always remove the pod before using the cream, as this allows it to infuse longer and release more flavour.
  • Chocolate:
  • Use around 100 g of dark chocolate, to be adapted according to your preferred chocolate taste.
  • Once your cream is cooked and still hot, pour it over the chopped chocolate and whisk to combine. Pour into a gratin dish, covered with cling film as for the basic recipe.
  • With pistachio and praline :
  • Once cooked, add 35 g of pistachio or praline paste. Mix, pour into your dish and cover with cling film.
  • Citrus fruit:
  • Simply add the zest of the citrus fruit of your choice to the sugar, egg and starch mixture.
  • With flavored alcohol (e.g. Grand Marnier):
  • Add 30 g of alcohol to your cooled crème pâtissière, then whisk to combine.
  • Tips and advice to remember:
  • Avoid mixing pastry cream as much as possible. This will destroy the coagulation of the egg yolks, and your cream will no longer hold together!
  • If you don't have cling film, you can rub a little butter on the surface of your cream (a technique used before cling film existed).
  • Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Notes

Tips and advice to remember:

Avoid mixing pastry cream as much as possible. This will destroy the coagulation of the egg yolks, and your cream will no longer hold together!
If you don't have cling film, you can rub a little butter on the surface of your cream (a technique used before cling film existed).
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