Crème pâtissière, or pastry cream is a rich, creamy custard that is thickened with egg yolk and starch, often used in French pastry desserts such as fruit tarts, choux buns, cream puffs and fillings for some cakes.
What is pastry cream?
The pastry cream (Creme Patissiere) is made up of egg yolks, milk, a thickening agent, and vanilla. It's a luxurious, creamy mixture that sits inside the tart case and will be what the fruit ultimately is arranged on. It's delicious!
The trick to a silky smooth pastry cream is to make sure you stir whilst on the heat, and don't stop stirring until it's thickened! Pass it through a sieve afterward to make sure it's as smooth as can be and the addition of butter when it's cooled for 5 minutes will give it an absolutely wonderful shine and added richness.
Is pastry cream the same as vanilla pudding?
Pastry cream is very similar to vanilla pudding and custard. Both are cooked on the stovetop in a similar way, however, pastry cream uses starch as a thickening agent whereas pudding and custard usually rely on just the eggs for thickening the mixture. Don't confuse this pastry cream with vanilla sauce. Vanilla sauce is used more as a pouring sauce over desserts such as fruit pies. It's delicious but very different from pastry cream!
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Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Makes
1 ½ pints or 680ml
Ingredients
8 egg yolks
120g or ⅔ cup regular sugar
6 & ½ tablespoons all purpose plain flour
4 tsp cornflour
560 ml or 19 fl oz milk
200g or 7 oz unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Equipment
- Plastic Wrap
- Bowl and whisk
- Saucepan
- sieve
Instructions
- Using a hand whisk, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and slightly thickened.
2. Whisk in the flours.
3. Heat the milk in a saucepan until you see it starting to boil then remove from heat.
4. Whisk the milk into the egg mix.
This is known as tempering and done to avoid the hot milk from scrambling the eggs when combined
5. Transfer the mixture back into the pan, stirring all the time until thick and boiling.
You need to stir constantly to avoid the mixture getting lumpy!
The pastry cream will thicken and turn darker in color. You will also notice the foam/bubbles will have disappeared. Once thick, remove from the heat immediately.
6. Return the pastry cream to the mixing bowl by passing through a sieve to get any lumps out.
7. Add the butter and vanilla extract and combine.
Do not add the butter until AFTER you have passed the mixture through a sieve as it will be too hot and likely to cause the pastry cream to split and go grainy.
The addition of butter at this point will give the custard mixture a silky shine and richness
8. Cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the wrap is directly touching the surface of the mixture to avoid a skin from forming.
9. Refrigerate until completely cold.
If your pastry cream is too stiff from refrigeration, simply give it a whisk to loosen. If it’s still too stiff, add 1 tablespoon of milk and whisk and it should be spreadable again.
Once chilled, you can use your pastry cream for adding to whatever dessert you have planned.
How do you use leftover pastry cream?
Pastry cream can be used as a base for fruit in tarts, piped into profiteroles and chocolate eclairs, used as a filling for Vanilla slices or spread between layers of cake, or as a filling for a sweet pie, such as a Boston Cream Pie
How long does pastry cream last in fridge?
Pastry cream will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days
We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
Recipe Card
How To Make French Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)
Crème pâtissière, or pastry cream is a rich, creamy custard that is thickened with egg yolk and starch, often used in French pastry desserts
Ingredients
- 8 egg yolks
- 120g or ⅔ cup regular sugar
- 6 & ½ tablespoons all purpose plain flour
- 4 tsp cornflour
- 560 ml or 19 fl oz milk
- 200g or 7 oz unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Using a hand whisk, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and slightly thickened.
- Whisk in the flours.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan until you see it starting to boil then remove from heat.
- Whisk the milk into the egg mix.
- Transfer the mixture back into the pan, stirring all the time until thick and boiling.
The pastry cream will thicken and turn darker in color. Once thick, remove from the heat immediately. - Return the pastry cream to the mixing bowl by passing through a sieve to get any lumps out.
- Add the butter and vanilla extract and combine.
- Cover with plastic wrap, ensuring the wrap is directly touching the surface of the mixture to avoid a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate until completely cold.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1.5 cupsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 2710Total Fat: 209gSaturated Fat: 120gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 78gCholesterol: 1949mgSodium: 361mgCarbohydrates: 173gFiber: 0gSugar: 164gProtein: 43g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
English Afternoon Tea Ideas
Here's a selection of delicious recipes you can make for an English Afternoon Tea
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The best coffee and walnut cake, a classic British afternoon tea cake, layers of soft and fluffy coffee cake with chopped walnuts throughout, adds a great flavor and texture, frosted with coffee cream cheese frosting. A pure delight to eat!
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Strawberry and Lemon Loaf Cake.
A deliciously soft and fluffy strawberry loaf cake bursting with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Flavourful, with a tender, soft texture. An easy, popular cake recipe.
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake is a delicious dessert with fresh blueberries and a tangy, creamy lemon cheesecake filling on a crunchy cookie base. An easy no bake dessert.
Mini Almond Pastries.
These Mini Almond Pastries have a deliciously smooth, sweet, almond paste filling and are wrapped in crispy, light puff pastry. Quick and easy to make, and perfect for a tea time treat.
Classic English Cherry Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!
Bara brith is a traditional Welsh tea bread flavored with tea, dried fruits and spices. Often served sliced with a spread of butter. Perfect as a tea time snack.
Easy Sesame Brown Sugar French Palmier Cookies, AKA Elephant Ears. These are a very easy to make crispy puff pastry cookie, filled with sesame seeds and brown sugar. Great for the holidays!
Cream Filled Chocolate or Caramel Eclairs, easy to make and great for a tea party!
Easy lemon mousse recipe, a delicious creamy chilled dessert made with 3 basic ingredients, takes minutes to make and great for eating on it’s own or to use as a topping on cakes and trifles too!
Classic Victoria Sponge Cake.
Easy recipe for how to make a classic Victoria sponge Cake, a popular British cake, traditionally eaten at afternoon tea.
Peach Pound Cake with Raspberry Swirl. A delicious recipe bursting with sweet peaches and a tangy raspberry swirl running through. Soft, moist and perfect with a morning coffee or to take to friends! If you are a fan of pound cakes and peaches, then this one is for you.
Lemon and poppyseed thins are a very thin, crisp, buttery cookie, easy to make with a crunchy, caramelized texture. Delicious with a coffee or tea.
Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake Hearts, a creamy no bake fruity cheesecake recipe using fresh strawberries in the filling and topping. A great dessert for Valentine's Day or a Summer party.
Strawberry and Lemon Angel Food Cake. Strawberry and lemon angel food cake is a light and fluffy sponge type cake, sandwiched with lemon whipped cream and fresh strawberries. An easy recipe for a no fat cake. The best homemade angel cake recipe, perfect for dessert
Easy Vanilla Slices. Creamy custard sandwiched between sheets of crispy puff pastry make for a nice chilled treat perfect for any occasion.
Sausage and Red Onion Chutney Rolls are so delicious! Easy to make, freezer friendly and great for snacks, lunchboxes and parties!
Spinach and Feta Galette, a delicious open pastry savory pie filled with Greek feta cheese creamy spinach and tomatoes, then baked until set. Great served warm or chilled.
Delicious Shrimp or Salmon Vol Au Vents, Mini Puff Pastry Cups. These are very easy to make and great for parties as canapes, appetizers, and snacks. Perfect to make ahead too!
Classic Lemon Tart, Tarte Au Citron.
A delicious tangy lemon tart, made from scratch using buttery pastry and filled with a creamy rich fresh lemon filling
Easy English Tiffin is a delicious no-bake British colonial recipe, made of chocolate, crushed cookies, syrup, and raisins, often served at English afternoon tea.
Traditional English Tea Loaf
Delicious tea-soaked dried fruits fill this soft, moist, sweet bread. Traditionally served with a spread of butter alongside afternoon tea.
Coconut Tarts! These are a wonderful little tart, filled with a moist coconut egg custard filling. Great for the family and if you're making these for a party, be sure to make plenty! Freezer friendly too!
Classic English Scones.
Quick and Easy to make moist, light, and fluffy! Step by step instructions to make perfect scones. Serve for High Tea or Afternoon Tea
How To Make Orange Or Clementine Curd. Orange or clementine curd is a sweet, thick condiment, easy to make from scratch. Using just four ingredients, this recipe comes together quickly on your stovetop. Use it anything from scones for breakfast to desserts.
Classic English Rhubarb Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!
Classic English Strawberry Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!