Crema Pasticcera (Italian Pastry Cream)

Name: Crema Pasticcera (Italian Pastry Cream)
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2/3 cup (155 g) whole milk; 1/3 cup (75 g) heavy cream; 1 vanilla bean; 1/3 cup (60 g) granulated sugar; 4 medium-sized egg yolks (60 g), room temperature (see note#1); 2 1/2 tablespoons (23 g) cornstarch

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Here is the best Italian custard dessert - authentic crema pasticcera or Italian pastry cream. Easy and quick, smooth and luscious, and highly versatile, this simple custard makes a delicious filling for numerous desserts.

Crema pasticcera with a spoon in a serving bowl and a hand whisk in the background

The silky texture and vanilla flavor of the shiny cream perfectly pair with tangy citrus, warm spices, rich chocolate, and endless other flavor combinations.

Jump to:

What is crema pasticcera?
Why you should try this recipe
Ingredients
How to make Italian pastry cream
Expert Tips
Recipe variations
Storing and feezing
How to use crema pasticcera
Troubleshooting
Recipe FAQ
Love Italian desserts? Try these next.
Recipe card
Comments

Best of all, you can customize Italian custard to your desire and use it as a beautiful filling for show-stopping treats like zeppole di San Giuseppe or Mimosa cake.

Are you wondering how to make the perfect pastry cream - creme pasticcera? It is simpler than you think. You will have a delicious dessert and cake filling in just a few easy steps.

What is crema pasticcera?

Crema pasticcera is an Italian pastry cream made with egg yolks, sugar, and milk, thickened with cornstarch, and flavored with vanilla.

In France, it is called creme patissiere; in the UK, it has a nickname creme pat; and in Italy is sometimes called crema gialla, meaning yellow cream.

But don't confuse it with crème Anglaise, called "crema Inglese" in Italy, which is runnier than Italian pastry cream and served hot.

Why you should try this recipe

This Italian pastry cream recipe (crema pasticcera ricetta or ricetta di crema pasticciera) is simple and authentic, making the same crema pasticcera found in traditional Italian pastry shops.

It is one of the most used in Italian pastries, together with Chantilly cream and Italian zabaglione to fill delicious desserts.

It is also essential to other pastry creams, such as Diplomat cream, crème légère, Chiboust cream, and mousseline.

What's more? It is a gluten-free pastry cream suitable for everyone.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Milk: The recipe calls for fresh full-fat milk, but you can replace it with low-fat or semi-skimmed milk (not skim milk) to make the cream lighter. To make it richer, replace part of the whole milk with heavy cream.

You can replace milk with vegetable milk (oat, almond, soy, hazelnut, etc.) to make the cream dairy-free.

Eggs bring flavor and structure to the pastry cream. Opt for fresh free-range eggs for the best results. The color of the pastry cream varies from pale to intense yellow: it depends on the quality of the eggs. Room temperature eggs are essential in making the recipe.

You may find recipes with whole eggs, but the egg whites make the cream stiffer and interfere with the flavor. Use leftover egg whites to make cake Merveilleux, meringue roulade, or classic Pavlova.

Sugar: Use granulated or caster sugar to make the recipe. If desired, you can reduce the amount of sugar, increasing the number of vanilla beans to 2 or 3.

Using brown sugar for making creamy custard is rare: you will end up with a different color and a particular taste of the cream compared with the use of white sugar.

Cornstarch is an essential thickening agent to make crema pasticcera. If desired, you can swap it for all-purpose flour (the cream will be firmer) or rice starch, or amido di riso (the cream will be softer). Also, mix half AP flour and half cornstarch for the ultimate thickening power.

Vanilla taste and flavor are essential in a classic pastry cream. Opt for freshly scraped vanilla bean seeds, or add ½-1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or one tablespoon of vanilla bean paste.

Italian custard with a spoon in a bowl with vanilla beans and a pastry bag

How to make Italian pastry cream

Step 1. Separate the egg yolks from the whites and place the yolks in a large bowl. Add sugar and cornstarch and mix with a balloon whisk for 10-20 seconds (photo 1).

Step 2. Pour the cold milk and cream into a saucepan. Cut the vanilla pod vertically into two halves with a small sharp knife, scrape the vanilla seeds with the knife's tip, then add them to the liquids.

Pro tip: For the best results, select a copper pot that outperforms all other pots in terms of heat conductivity. If not, choose a round-bottomed pot that allows for easy whisking of the entire content. (Advice from Fernanda Gosetti, author of Il Dolcissimo)

Step 3. Heat milk and cream over medium heat. When the mixture is almost boiling, pour it into the yolk mixture and continue stirring with the whisk (photo 2).

Pro tip: Ensure to pour milk gradually and whisk continuously: otherwise, the mixture may curdle, resembling sweet scrambled eggs. It is known that egg yolks start to cook at about 140-158°F (60-70°C).

Photo 1: Beaten eggs with sugar and cornstarch Photo 2: Egg yolks and milk mixture — **PHOTO 1 PHOTO 2**

Step 4. Transfer the custard mixture back to low or very low heat and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly with the whisk or a wooden spoon until a thick and smooth cream (photo 3).

Pro tip: The cream is ready when it reaches179°F (82°C), at a maximum of 185°F (85°C), if checked with a cooking thermometer.

Step 5. Pass the cream through a fine-mesh sieve 1-2 times to remove the possible lumps. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to press it down.

Step 6. Pour the cream into a bowl or a shallow plate, and cover it in contact with plastic film (photo 4). This helps prevent skin formation on top of the cream. Let it all cool down to room temperature, then use it or refrigerate.

Pro tip: Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl once cooked to stop cooking it in the hot pot.

Photo 3: Cooked custard in a saucepan Photo 4: Cream with plastic wrap in a bowl — **PHOTO 3 PHOTO 4**

To use, whisk the custard with the hand whisk to regain the right consistency.

Smooth and shiny Italian pastry cream in a bowl with filled pastry bags on the background

Expert Tips

Cook the cream over low to medium heat, stirring it vigorously against the bottom of the pan.
Cover the cream with plastic wrap in contact to prevent skin formation on the surface of the cream.
Don't overcook the cream; otherwise, it may burn and/or taste eggy. Use a cooking thermometer to check the cream's temperature: do not exceed 179°F (82°C), at a maximum of 185°F (85°C).
To cool the cream faster, use an ice bath. Place the bowl with cream over the bowl with ice and whisk the cream until it cools down.

Recipe variations

This Italian pastry cream is a staple in Italian pastry making, but how to customize the recipe?

To enhance the vanilla flavour of the cream, place the vanilla bean seeds and the split pod in a saucepan with the milk. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat, cover with the lid, and leave to cool and infuse for 10 minutes. Then remove the pod and continue with the recipe.

If you don't like vanilla, infuse the milk with the following flavors:

cinnamon stick
mint leaves
verbena
star anise
Earl Grey tea
coffee beans
orange peel, lemon rind, or other citrus zest

You only need to pass the milk and cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and proceed with the recipe.

Alternatively, you can add dry ingredients such as cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg, mixing them with cornstarch or chopped chocolate to the hot cream at the end of cooking.

Or play with wet ingredients (lemon juice, coconut or almond extract, Kirsch, Grand Marnier, dark rum, etc.) added out of the heat at the end of cooking.

If you are looking for more delicious pastry cream variations, check out this French Pastry Cream recipe now.

Storing and feezing

Store crema pasticcera in a sealed container with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface in the refrigerator for two days (some say for up to 4-5 days).

Can you freeze pastry cream? While Italian chef Iginio Massari "permits" a one-month freezing period, I do not recommend freezing pastry cream.

How to use crema pasticcera

This list will provide several ways of using Italian pastry cream filling.

Fill Italian cream puffs, choux a la cream, chouquettes, and other choux pastries.
Use pastry cream as a filling for puff pastry desserts such as cannoncini, vol-au-vent, and millefeuille, as well as morning pastries such as cornetti (Italian croissants) and bomboloni (Italian doughnuts).
Fill layer cakes such as Italian Pan di Spagna and Genoise cake and Crostata di Frutta and Torta della Nonna.
Incorporate it into the preparation of semifreddos and puddings, as well as Italian crema Diplomatica, Mousseline, and other creams.

Troubleshooting

Here is a list of common mistakes often made when preparing Italian pastry cream.

My pastry cream is lumpy

Reasons:

The yolks were in contact with the sugar without stirring for some time: the sugar cooked the yolks;
The flour has not been sifted;
The hot milk was poured quickly into the egg yolk and sugar mixture;
The preparation wasn't constantly whisked (against the bottom of the pan) while cooking.

Solution: Pass the pastry cream through a strainer a couple of times. You can try to use an immersion blender, but don't over-blend the cream: it might turn into a liquid.

My pastry cream is too thin

Reason: The pastry cream is not cooked enough: you probably stopped cooking below 179°F (82°C).

Solution: Try to cook your pastry cream over low heat for a bit longer (an extra minute or two) until the desired consistency. Or add 1 ½ soaked and well-drained gelatin sheets to the hot cream out of the heat.

My pastry cream is too thick

Reason: The pastry cream is overcooked, or the ratio of the ingredients is not respected.

Solution: Add cold milk gradually to thin out the cream mixture. Then, whip the cream with a hand whisk until the desired texture.

My pastry cream is grainy

Reason: The pastry cream is overheated and overcooked, resembling scrambled eggs. It means it is curdled at a temperature exceeding 185°F (85°C).

Solution: You can try to strain your cream through a fine-mesh sieve, but in most cases, it won't fix the cream. The cream has to be redone.

My pastry cream has skin on the surface

Reason: The pastry cream wasn't covered with cling film in contact to prevent skin formation on its surface.

Solution: Try to remove the skin from the surface of your cream and whisk it a few times.

Recipe FAQ

What is the meaning of crema pasticcera?

Crema pasticcera is an Italian pastry cream flavored with vanilla commonly used to fill various desserts. In English, it is widely known as custard.

What consistency should pastry cream be?

Properly cooked pastry cream should have a pudding-like consistency, which is thick enough to hold its shape and be used as a perfect filling. However, it may not be strong enough to be used for decoration. You can add gelatin to the hot pastry cream to achieve a thicker consistency.

What happens when you overcook pastry cream?

When the pastry cream is overcooked, it forms unsightly lumps or even starts to resemble scrambled eggs. To avoid this outcome, cook the cream up to a maximum temperature of 179°F (82°C).

Can you fix curdled pastry cream?

You can try to strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve a couple of times. If it doesn't work, the cream was overcooked at above 185°F (85°C), and you can't revive it. So the cream has to be redone.

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