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Italian Pastry Cream Recipe
4.6 from 133 votes

Italian Pastry Cream Recipe

Italian Pastry Cream is a silky custard made from eggs, sugar, flour, milk, and cream, cooked slowly until thickened and chilled to set. This creamy filling is smooth and rich, ideal for pastries, tarts, or dessert bases, with a subtle vanilla flavor and a texture that holds shape without being stiff.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Chilling Time
2 hrs
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 2 cups
Calories: 1420 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

ITALIAN PASTRY CREAM WITH MILK AND CREAM (OUR FAVOURITE / PHOTOS/VIDEO)
  • ¾ cup milk whole or 2%
  • ¾ cup heavy cream whipping/whole, at least 30% fat
  • 4 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar or fine sugar
  • 2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
ITALIAN PASTRY CREAM WITH MILK
  • 1 cup milk (divided)
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 3 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons flour (whisk in a small bowl)

Instructions

ITALIAN PASTRY CREAM WITH MILK AND CREAM
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a medium pot, heat over low the milk and cream to hot, do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool to warm.
  2. In a medium pot whisk together the yolks and sugar, add the flour and vanilla and whisk to combine.
  3. Place the pot over low / medium heat, slowly add the warm milk/cream mixture, whisking continuously until thickened, be sure to cook until thickened or you will have a runny pastry cream. It should have a silky texture.
  4. Pour the hot pastry cream into a heat resistant glass or ceramic bowl, cover the surface of the cream with a piece of plastic wrap (make sure wrap touches the cream mixture) and refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before using.
  5. To bring the chilled cream back to a creamy consistency, it’s a good idea to either use a hand beater or strongly whisk it before using.
ITALIAN PASTRY CREAM WITH MILK
  1. In a medium pot add 3/4 cup milk and vanilla, heat on medium until milk just starts to boil, then remove from heat and let cool.
  2. In a medium bowl add egg yolks and sugar, beat at medium-high speed until thick and creamy (approximately 5 minutes) slowly add 1/3 of the boiled cooled milk and continue beating, then slowly add the flour and continue beating until smooth.
  3. Add egg mixture to the medium pot with remaining milk and cook over medium heat, continuously whisking briskly until mixture starts to boil, lower heat to medium/low and continue whisking while you slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup milk, once all the milk has been added remove from heat, transfer to a glass bowl and let cool completely. If not using immediately cover with plastic (make sure plastic touches the cream and refrigerate) Enjoy!

Notes

  • Pastry cream keeps refrigerated up to 5 days; use fresh milk with a longer shelf life for best results.
  • Press plastic wrap directly onto the cream's surface during cooling to prevent a skin from forming.
  • Re-whisk pastry cream after chilling to restore smooth texture before using.
  • Do not freeze pastry cream, as thawing will affect its creamy consistency.

Nutrition Information

Calories 1420kcal (71%) Carbohydrates 130g (43%) Protein 22g (44%) Fat 91g (140%) Saturated Fat 51g (255%) Cholesterol 1044mg (348%) Sodium 182mg (8%) Potassium 453mg (10%) Sugar 109g (218%) Vitamin A 3960IU (79%) Vitamin C 1.1mg (1%) Calcium 416mg (42%) Iron 2.8mg (16%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2 cups

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1420

% Daily Value*

Calories 1420kcal 71%
Carbohydrates 130g 43%
Protein 22g 44%
Fat 91g 140%
Saturated Fat 51g 255%
Cholesterol 1044mg 348%
Sodium 182mg 8%
Potassium 453mg 10%
Sugar 109g 218%
Vitamin A 3960IU 79%
Vitamin C 1.1mg 1%
Calcium 416mg 42%
Iron 2.8mg 16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.