Making Classic Pastry Cream
A smooth, stable pastry cream is the foundation for cream puffs, fruit tarts, and filled cakes. Success lies in managing the temperature of your eggs so they thicken into a glossy, pourable silk rather than scrambling.
Avoid the scramble
Keep your whisk moving constantly once the milk hits the eggs to ensure a uniform set. Have a sieve ready to strain the final product to catch any stray bits of cooked egg.
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Medium mixing bowl
- Balloon whisk
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Plastic wrap
What goes in.
- 2 cupswhole milk
- 1/2 cupgranulated sugar
- 1/4 cupcornstarch
- 4large egg yolks
- 2 tbspunsalted butter
- 1 tspvanilla extract
Gradual Heat Introduction
Pouring one-third of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking vigorously brings the yolks up to temperature slowly, preventing them from coagulating into lumps.
The method.
Heat the milk
Bring the milk and half of the sugar to a gentle simmer in the saucepan over medium heat.
Prepare the yolks
Whisk the remaining sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks in a bowl until the mixture is pale and thick.
Temper
Slowly drizzle the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Do not stop whisking.
Cook
Return the combined mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking steadily until the cream thickens and comes to a full boil.
Boil
Let the cream bubble for one full minute to cook out the cornstarch. It will transition from cloudy to glossy.
Finish and cool
Remove from heat. Whisk in the butter and vanilla. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Other turns to take.
Chocolate Pastry Cream
Whisk in 3 ounces of chopped high-quality bittersweet chocolate immediately after removing the cream from the heat.
Diplomat Cream
Fold equal parts cold whipped heavy cream into chilled pastry cream for a lighter, aerated finish.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a heavy-bottomed pot to prevent hot spots that cause the milk to scorch at the edges.
If you see small lumps, whisk the cream vigorously; if they persist, the sieve will remove them.
Cool the cream as quickly as possible by spreading it thin on a shallow tray before covering with plastic.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my pastry cream runny?
You likely didn't cook it for long enough after it began to bubble. The cornstarch needs that full minute of boiling to activate its thickening power.
Can I use flour instead of cornstarch?
You can, but you will need to double the amount and cook it for longer, as flour has less thickening strength and a stronger raw taste.
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