Crème Pâtissière (Pastry Cream or Vanilla Custard)
Serves: 750 ml (3 cups)
How to make Crème Pâtissière, also known as pastry cream or vanilla custard. Easy to follow recipe with step-by-step photos.
Ingredients
- 250 ml (1 cup) milk, (whole milk), 4% fat
- 250 ml (1 cup) double cream, (heavy cream), 35% fat
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 large egg yolks
- 100 g (½ cup) caster sugar, (superfine sugar)
- 30 g (4 tablespoons) plain flour, (all-purpose flour)
Instructions
- Pour the milk and cream into a medium-sized saucepan.
- Add the vanilla extract.
- Warm the mixture until it just starts to simmer.
- In a large bowl or jug, beat together the egg yolks and sugar, and then whisk in the flour.
- Slowly pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture (not the other way around or else you will have scrambled eggs), whisking as you do so until the custard is smooth.
- Pour this mixture into a clean saucepan and whisk gently over medium heat until the custard thickens. This should take only a few minutes.
- Continue whisking for another 1-2 minutes to allow the mixture to release a few bubbles.
- Pour the custard into a bowl and set aside to cool.
- I recommend covering the bowl with a layer of clingfilm pressed against the custard to stop a skin from forming.
Kitchen Notes
- OVEN & STOVE TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website have been tested on an induction stove and/or with a conventional oven (i.e. an oven without fan). All recipes on this website use temperatures for a conventional oven, unless otherwise mentioned. Convection ovens (i.e. fan-forced ovens) are typically 20°C/70°F hotter than conventional ovens, but please check your manufacturer’s handbook. - CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.