Italian Pastry Cream Recipe (Crema Pasticcera)
This is a basic Italian pastry cream recipe, also called crema pasticcera, which is kind of like custard but thicker and richer. It’s used in lots of Italian desserts and sometimes just eaten on its own if you’re feeling simple. You’ll need a few common ingredients and a little patience to get it just right.
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Fine mesh sieve
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk room temperature or cold
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch sifted
- 1 vanilla bean vanilla bean split and scraped, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
Instructions
- Pour the milk into the saucepan. If you have a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the milk and toss in the pod too. Heat it over medium heat until it’s just about to bubble but not boiling. It’s the kind of thing where you keep watching because it can go from fine to boiling fast.
- While the milk is heating, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch in a bowl until it’s smooth and a little pale. This part always feels like a mini arm workout, especially if your whisk is not the best.
- Once the milk is hot, remove the vanilla pod if you used one. Slowly pour about half the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs so they don’t scramble. The bowl might feel warm and you might have to slow down a bit so the eggs don’t freak out.
- Pour the egg and milk mix back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk. Put it back on medium heat and whisk constantly until it thickens. This usually takes a few minutes and you’ll notice it getting thicker and starting to bubble gently. Don’t stop whisking or you’ll get lumps or burnt bits on the bottom.
- Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted and incorporated. The butter makes it silky. Pour the cream through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to get rid of any bits that might have cooked unevenly. It’s a bit extra but worth it.
- Cover the surface of the pastry cream with plastic wrap pressed directly onto it so it doesn’t form a skin. Let it cool to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using. It’s better if it’s chilled overnight but sometimes that’s not happening.
Notes
This pastry cream (crema pasticcera) is thicker than regular custard and works great in tarts, cakes, or just spooned into bowls. If you want a lighter version, you can fold in whipped cream after it’s chilled but that’s another story. Keep it in the fridge and it should last about 3 days, though it’s usually gone before then.