How to Make Pastry Cream

Learn how to make pastry cream with this step-by-step guide and pastry cream recipe. A classic creme patisserie for éclairs and cream puffs.

How to Make Pastry Cream

 If you’re a fan of Bakeoff or other baking competitions, you’ve surely seen contestants whipping up batches of pastry cream to fill and frost their fabulous creations. But have you ever wondered how to make pastry cream at home?

Pastry cream, or creme pâtisserie, is a staple component in the French pastry kitchen. Made with just a few simple ingredients (egg yolks, milk, sugar, cornflour/cornstarch, and flour) and thickened on the stovetop, this custard-like cream plays key role in many desserts. It is a popular filling choice for éclairs, cream puffs, tarts, cakes, and doughnuts. Pastry cream is also the star player in both the tart aux fruits and a classic Boston cream pie.

How Do You Make Pastry Cream?

First, gather the necessary tools:

Next, measure out all of your ingredients: Whole milk, sugar, egg yolks, flour, cornflour, and vanilla bean paste or extract. (See recipe below for the exact quantities needed.)

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, flour, cornflour, vanilla, and half of the sugar.

Whisk everything together, then set aside until ready to use.

In a saucepan, combine milk and remaining sugar.

Stir gently to dissolve the sugar, then warm mixture over medium heat until steaming. (Do not boil).

Tempering Pastry Cream

Next, temper the hot milk into the whisked egg mixture. To do this, simply pour the hot milk gradually into the egg bowl in a thin stream, whisking well after each addition. Be careful not to pour too quickly or add all of the milk at once.

After tempering, the mixture should look something like this:

Cooking the Pastry Cream

Next, pour the entire tempered mixture back into the saucepan.

Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a whisk or spatula. You’ll notice the mixture thickening as it cooks.

Soon it will look something like this:

Allow the pastry cream to come to a low boil, then boil for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously. This helps to cook some of the starchiness out of the pastry cream.

Cooling Homemade Pastry Cream

With a clean rubber spatula, transfer pastry cream to a metal tray, and spread it evenly over the surface. Spreading the cream on a tray allows it to cool faster than it will in a bowl.

Cover with a layer of clingfilm/plastic wrap and use your hands to pat down the film. You want to make sure it is directly touching the pastry cream to prevent a “skin” from forming on top.

Set tray aside and allow the creme pat to cool to room temperature. (If you don’t need it immediately, store the tray in the refrigerator until ready to use.)

“Knocking Back” the Cream

Remove the clingfilm and use a spatula to scrape the pastry cream into a clean mixing bowl.

With a clean whisk, knock back the cream. “Knocking back” is the process of whisking/stirring the cooled mixture to remove any lumps, creating a smooth and creamy texture for piping or spreading.

If you are making a large quantity of creme pâtisserie, or simply want to make things easier, you can use an electric mixer to knock back the cream, or scrape into the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until smooth and creamy.

And that’s it! Your creme pat is now ready to use. You can pour it into a tart shell, spread on a layer cake, or transfer it to a piping bag to fill doughnuts, choux buns, or éclairs. I piped this batch into my Boston cream pie macarons:

Other frosting and filling recipes you might enjoy:

Lime Curd
Earl Grey Ganache
Coconut Whipped Cream
Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream
Ruby Chocolate Ganache

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!

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