Custard Cream (Pastry Cream)

To Combine the Ingredients

1. Cut a vanilla bean pod in half crosswise (for one batch). Make a slit lengthwise on ½ vanilla bean pod and scrape off the seeds with a knife.
2. In a medium saucepan (preferably a heavy saucepan for even heat distribution), combine 200 ml whole milk (1 cup minus 3 Tbsp) and the vanilla seeds. Bring it ALMOST to a boil (small bubbles around the edges). Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, add 2 large egg yolks and beat gently. Add ¼ cup sugar and whisk until the mixture turns pale yellow.
4. Add 20 g cake flour (2 Tbsp + 2 tsp) and whisk until combined.
5. Pour a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture and quickly whisk to combine. Slowly add the rest of the milk while whisking.

To Cook

1. Set a fine-mesh strainer over the saucepan and pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat while CONSTANTLY mixing with a silicone spatula. It starts as a thin and frothy mixture and gradually will start to thicken. It’ll take 20–25 minutes for the custard cream to thicken.
2. Stir constantly, making sure to scrape the bottom and corners of the pan. Ensure that the mixture heats evenly. Lift up the spatula occasionally to check for large bubbles bursting at the top of the mixture. Keep cooking and stirring until large bubbles appear. Then, boil and stir for 1 minute. The custard should be shiny and drop intermittently when you lift up the spatula. Finally, add 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (if using) and mix well. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

To Cool the Custard

1. Transfer the custard to a tray or flat container. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a film from forming on top of the custard. Put the tray over ice cubes and put an ice pack on top of the custard to cool for about 30 minutes. The key is to cool it quickly so the custard won’t spoil.
2. When it’s cool, put the custard back into a bowl and whisk until nice and smooth. The custard is now ready to use.

To Serve

1. Use your homemade Custard Cream to fill delicious snacks and desserts like Nama Donuts, Taiyaki or Crispy Taiyaki, Imagawayaki (Obanyaki), and Dorayaki.

To Store

1. You can keep the homemade custard for up to 2–3 days in the refrigerator. To prevent a film from forming on top of the custard as it cools, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of and touching the custard. I don‘t recommend freezing the custard, as its texture will change.