Crème pâtissière
Crème pâtissière is a thick custard of milk, egg yolks, sugar and starch, used to fill eclairs, tarts and doughnuts. Here is how to make it smooth.
Also called Pastry cream, Creme patissiere, Crème pât.
Crème pâtissière, or pastry cream, is a thick, sweet custard made from milk, egg yolks, sugar and a starch such as flour or cornstarch (cornflour in the UK). The starch lets you boil it, which makes it thick enough to hold its shape. It fills eclairs, cream puffs, fruit tarts, doughnuts and layer cakes.
How to do it
- Heat 500 ml (2 cups) whole milk with a split vanilla bean until steaming.
- Whisk 4 to 5 egg yolks with 100 g (½ cup) sugar and 40 g (⅓ cup) cornstarch until smooth and pale.
- Pour a third of the hot milk into the yolks while whisking. This is tempering.
- Pour it all back into the pan.
- Whisk constantly over medium heat. It thickens suddenly. Keep whisking and let it bubble for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Take it off the heat and whisk in 30 g (2 tablespoons) butter.
- Scrape it into a dish and press plastic wrap onto the surface.
- Chill for at least 2 hours.
How to tell it is done
It is thick, glossy and falls from the whisk in heavy dollops. It must boil for about a minute. A few bubbles that burst through the surface mean the starch is fully cooked.
Why it works
Egg yolks alone curdle well below boiling. The starch gets between the egg proteins and stops them clumping, so you can heat the mix hot enough to swell the starch fully. Egg yolks contain an enzyme that breaks down starch, and only a real boil stops it. Underboiled pastry cream can turn runny overnight.
How to store it
Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Whisk it smooth before use. It does not freeze well, as it turns watery when thawed.
Common mistakes
- Not boiling it. It tastes floury and may thin out as it sits.
- Stopping whisking. Lumps form on the bottom of the pan. If they do, pass it through a sieve.
- Leaving it uncovered. A thick skin forms.
- Leaving it out at room temperature. It is a dairy and egg product, so cool it quickly and keep it in the fridge.
Crème pâtissière recipes
3 recipes from the sites we collect.
Related terms
- Temper eggsTempering eggs is slowly whisking hot liquid into beaten eggs so they warm up without scrambling. It is the key step in custards and pastry cream.
- Choux pastryChoux pastry is a cooked dough of water, butter, flour and eggs that puffs hollow in the oven. It makes eclairs, cream puffs, profiteroles and gougères.
- Vanilla beanA vanilla bean is the cured pod of a vanilla orchid, full of tiny fragrant seeds. How to split, scrape and steep it, and how it compares to extract.
- Pass through a sieveTo pass through a sieve is to push a sauce, purée or custard through fine mesh to remove lumps, seeds and skins. Here is how to do it fast and cleanly.
- CornstarchCornstarch is the pure starch of corn, a fine white powder for thickening sauces and crisping coatings. In the UK, Ireland and Australia it is cornflour.
- Shortcrust pastryShortcrust pastry is a crumbly, tender pastry of flour, fat and a little water, used for pies, tarts and quiche. Here is the ratio and how to make it.