Pastry Cream
This is the backbone of the pastry shop. Once you master the timing of the temper and the boil, you have the base for eclairs, fruit tarts, and filled cakes.
Watch the pot, not the clock.
Keep your whisk moving constantly to avoid lumps and scorched bottoms. The mixture thickens rapidly, so stay focused once you turn the heat up.
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Balloon whisk
- Large mixing bowl
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Plastic wrap
What goes in.
- 2 cupswhole milk
- 1/2 cupgranulated sugar
- 4large egg yolks
- 1/4 cupcornstarch
- 2 tbspunsalted butter, softened
- 1 tspvanilla bean paste or extract
Cook past the thickener
Many cooks stop as soon as it thickens, but you must let the mixture bubble for at least one full minute. This cooks out the raw starch taste and activates the thickening power.
The method.
Heat the milk
Bring the milk to a gentle simmer in your saucepan over medium heat, then remove from the burner.
Whisk the base
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until the mixture is pale and smooth.
Temper the eggs
Slowly pour half of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. This brings the temperature of the eggs up slowly so they do not scramble.
Combine and cook
Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and begins to bubble.
Finish
Remove from heat. Whisk in the butter and vanilla until fully incorporated. Pass the cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to ensure it is silky.
Chill
Press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely cold.
Other turns to take.
Chocolate Pastry Cream
Whisk in 3 ounces of chopped high-quality bittersweet chocolate immediately after removing from the heat.
Diplomat Cream
Fold in an equal amount of stiffly whipped heavy cream once the pastry cream is fully chilled.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If you see small lumps, whisk the cream vigorously over a low heat; if that fails, the sieve is your safety net.
Do not use low-fat milk; the fat content is necessary for the mouthfeel.
Whisk the yolks and sugar immediately—if you let them sit without whisking, the sugar will draw out the moisture and create hard, rubbery spots in your eggs.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I reheat it if it gets too thick?
Yes, but do it gently over low heat, adding a splash of milk to loosen the texture.
Why did my cream turn watery in the fridge?
You likely didn't cook it long enough. If the starch isn't fully activated, the enzymes in the egg yolks will break down the structure over time.