Mastering Pastry Cream
A reliable pastry cream is the backbone of éclairs, fruit tarts, and cream cakes. It should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped, yet smooth enough to melt the moment it hits your tongue.
Mind the temperature
Keep your whisk moving at all times. Once the starch hits the heat, the mixture will thicken rapidly, and any pause allows a crust to form on the bottom of the pan.
- heavy-bottomed saucepan
- balloon whisk
- fine-mesh sieve
- plastic wrap
What goes in.
- 500 mlwhole milk
- 100 ggranulated sugar
- 40 gcornstarch
- 4large egg yolks
- 30 gunsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tspvanilla bean paste
Cook past the thick point
Once the cream thickens, you must keep cooking and stirring for another full minute. This heat deactivates the enzyme that would otherwise break down your starch and turn your cream into a runny soup within hours.
The method.
Scald the milk
Bring the milk and half the sugar to a bare simmer in your saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat immediately once bubbles form at the edges.
Temper the yolks
Whisk the remaining sugar, cornstarch, and yolks in a bowl until pale. Slowly pour a quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to bring the temperature up without scrambling the eggs.
Cook the custard
Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk. Set over medium heat and whisk vigorously, scraping the corners of the pot, until the cream bubbles and thickens.
Finish and chill
Take off the heat. Whisk in the butter and vanilla until glossy. Press through a sieve into a shallow container, cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin, and refrigerate until cold.
Other turns to take.
Crème Diplomat
Fold equal parts whipped cream into cooled pastry cream for a lighter, aerated texture.
Chocolate Pastry Cream
Whisk 100g of chopped dark chocolate into the finished cream while it is still warm.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If you see small lumps, do not panic; force the finished cream through a fine-mesh sieve while it is still hot.
Use a heavy-bottomed pot to distribute heat evenly and prevent the bottom from burning before the center thickens.
The plastic wrap must touch the surface of the cream; air gaps allow condensation to form, which creates a watery layer on top.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my pastry cream runny?
You likely did not boil the mixture long enough to fully hydrate and cook the cornstarch.
Can I use flour instead of cornstarch?
You can, but it requires a slightly longer cooking time to remove the raw flour taste and yields a less glossy finish.
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