Italian Pastry Cream

Italian pastry cream is smooth and luscious and quite easy to make at home.

It doesn’t matter whether you call this pastry cream, creme patissiere or crema pasticcera, this recipe makes a thick and creamy custard that is perfect for pastries and desserts.

My Italian version has a delicate lemon and vanilla flavour and can be adapted to make other lots of other flavours. 

I’ve been making this Italian Pastry Cream for a very long time and generally it is known as crema pasticcera in Italy. As a child, I watched my mum make it and learnt the flavours she used such as infusing the milk with the lemon rind. My mother would never have used (or probably even been able to purchase) something so decadent as vanilla bean. Feel free to substitute vanilla extract as explained below.

This cream is SO good! Actually, I could (and do!) just eat it like a pudding but it’s also great in Mini Cream Horns, Strawberry crostata, Italian cream puffs and Italian Peach Cookies. You can make crema pasticcera yourself with great results. 

Pastry cream is really nothing more than thickened egg custard so don’t get to caught up with fancy names. In fact, pastry cream is so much easier to make than egg custard because the added starch (as in flour and cornflour) stablises the egg yolks. Unlike creme anglaise which uses no starch, pastry cream can be simmer without fear of making scrambled eggs. Actually, you NEED to simmer to cook out the floury taste. 

Ingredients

 Most likely you already have the ingredients to make this Italian pastry cream. That’s because it uses simple basic ingredient and yet creates a luscious, thick cream. All you will need is:-

• whole milk
• lemon
• vanilla bean
• sugar
• eggs
• flour
• cornflour/cornstarch
• salt
• butter is optional but adds extra creaminess

Ingredient Substitutions

I love this recipe just as it is. However, there are a few ingredients you can substitute or leave out and not have a noticeable difference in flavour.

• substitute reduced fat 2% milk for whole milk
• for a dairy free option use soy or almond milk 
• substitute half the milk for half pouring cream for a richer version
• substitute 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract for vanilla bean
• leave out the strip of lemon rind if you don’t want a lemon flavour

Instructions

1. Infuse the milk and sugar with vanilla and lemon rind
2. Combine egg yolks, flour and cornflour/cornstarch
3. Add reserved milk to egg yolk mixture
4. Remove vanilla and lemon rind from milk
5. Whisk hot milk into egg yolk mixture
6. Strain back into saucepan
7. Simmer and thicken on stove
8. Pour into bowl and cover with plastic wrap

Tips for success and FAQ’s

Italian pastry cream will be smooth and delicious if you follow these tips.

• sift flour and cornflour/cornstarch before adding to egg yolks
• be sure to whisk constantly while adding hot milk to egg yolk mixture
• strain through fine mesh sieve into saucepan
• whisk constantly while cooking – never walk away from the stove
• for extra insurance – pass cooked, hot pastry cream through fine mesh sieve
• before using – whisk until smooth

If it’s still lumpy, pass the cold pastry cream through the fine mesh sieve however this may thin it out a bit.

Recipes for leftover egg whites

Egg whites freeze very well. Freeze in batches that you know you’ll use. Frozen egg whites are perfect for recipes like Italian Meringue Buttercream, pavlova and macarons or for something savory, try my Egg White Frittata.

Related recipes

Torta della Nonna
Plum and Vanilla Custard Tart from A Baking Journey
Homemade Puff Pastry from Sugar Spun Run

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Italian Pastry Cream Recipe

A thick and creamy Italian pastry cream that is perfect for pastries and desserts. This Italian version of creme patissiere has a delicate lemon and vanilla flavour and can be adapted to make other flavours such as chocolate or coffee.

4.86 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings:8 servings

Author: Marcellina

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups whole milk divided
• ▢ 1 vanilla bean split down the length
• ▢ strip of lemon rind
• ▢ 4 egg yolks
• ▢ ½ cup sugar
• ▢ 5 teaspoons plain (all purpose) flour sifted
• ▢ 5 teaspoons cornflour/cornstarch sifted
• ▢ pinch salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoon unsalted butter optional but recommended

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Instructions

• Place 1 ¾ cups of milk, vanilla bean, and strip of lemon rind in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the milk just before simmering point. Don't boil. Stir in the sugar until dissolved and set aside.
• In a bowl whisk egg yolks, flour, cornflour/cornstarch and salt until smooth. Whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of milk.
• Remove lemon rind and vanilla bean from the milk.
• Slowly pour the hot milk onto the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
• Strain the mixture back to the saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Simmer for 1 minute to cook the flour.
• If adding unsalted butter, whisk into hot pastry cream until melted and mixed through.
• Pour the pastry cream into a heatproof bowl pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface to stop a skin forming.
• Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
• Before using, stir until smooth.

Notes

Variations

While I love this vanilla, lemony flavour there are many ways to vary this recipe. Omit the lemon rind and add any of the following.

• infuse milk with a cinnamon stick
• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips to the hot milk and increase the sugar to ⅔ cup
• to the hot milk add 1 tablespoon espresso powder 
• 1 teaspoon almond extract 
• at the end of cooking stir in 1 tablespoon of liqueur of choice 
• ½ cup whipped cream folded into cold pastry cream

For a thicker pastry cream

For a thicker pastry cream, just increase the flour and cornflour/cornstarch by a teaspoon of each.

For extra creaminess

Adding butter at the end provides extra creaminess. I recommend this but it’s not essential.

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 316IU | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1mg

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