Italian Pastry Cream: Crema Pasticcera

How to make Italian Pastry Cream (Crema Pasticcera) from scratch in only 10 minutes. This smooth and creamy vanilla pastry cream can be used for so many good desserts from Italian doughnuts pastries, cakes or tarts the list is endless!

Crema Pasticcera is good!

If you've ever ordered a pastry or doughnut alla crema at a bar in Italy, it comes heavily filled with pastry cream.

Everyone makes theirs slightly different, adapting it with different citrus zest, usually lemon or orange, and sometimes it's spiked with a little Limoncello or La Strega liqueur; omg it is so good!

This recipe is for a basic Italian pastry cream with vanilla but you can easily adapt it with lemon or your liqueur of choice.

We also have a chocolate version which is so rich and decadent, suited to all kinds of chocolate desserts!

Ingredients you need

The ingredients are simple eggs, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and full-fat milk. We recommend using full-fat milk because it thickens quickly and gives a rich and creamy flavour to the pastry cream (see the photo below that shows all the ingredients you need).

Step by step photos and recipe instructions

Warm the milk in a saucepan then set aside.

In a bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar until combined. Add the cornstarch (cornflour UK) and mix it into the eggs until combined (photos 1 -3).

Slowly pour the warm milk into the bowl with the eggs constantly whisking until everything is mixed together (make sure the milk is warm and not hot so the eggs don't scramble) (photos 5 & 6).

Once combined pour the mixture back into the saucepan you warmed the milk in.

Heat it on a low heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes until thick (photos 7 & 8).

Top Tip: Be patient with the custard mixture it'll take about 5 minutes before it starts to thicken at all but then it'll thicken quickly. After 10 minutes it should be at the right consistency (see photos for reference).

Once thickened pour the pastry cream into a clean bowl and place plastic wrap directly on top of the cream so a skin doesn't form (photo 10).

Once cooled completely place the bowl in the fridge until ready to use.

Different flavours and variations

There are so many ways to adapt Italian pastry cream, here are some suggestions you might want to try:

• Lemon zest (1 whole unwaxed lemon)
• Orange zest (1 whole orange)
• Limoncello (around 1-2 tbsp)
• La Strega liqueur (around 1-2 tbsp)
• Marsala wine (around 1 tbsp)
• Cointreau liqueur (around 1-2 tbsp)

Keeping leftovers

The Crema Pasticcera will keep well in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

It's important to keep it covered either in a bowl with plastic wrap or in a sealed container so a skin doesn't form on top.

If you notice a skin has formed scrape it off the top to remove it, if you mix it in you'll end up with lumps.

Pastry cream can easily split and curdle when frozen so We don't recommend freezing.

Fun ways to use it

We have great memories of eating cornetti (Italian croissants) filled with Crema Pasticcera for breakfast while we were studying Italian in Pisa. Served with a dusting of powdered sugar and a cappuccino, it doesn't get much better!

Pastries and cakes are the ultimate way to use this pastry cream; whether it's croissants PasticciottiItalian doughnuts or an good Torta Nua the list is endless.

You can also use it to fill little pastry tarts or Torta della Nonna (a good baked custard tart topped with pine nuts).

Check out our chocolate pastry cream recipe too for making all kinds of chocolate desserts; it's as easy!

Top tips for making Italian Pastry Cream

• Instead of vanilla paste you can use 1 whole vanilla pod with the inside scraped out and added to the milk (remove the pod when adding the milk to the egg) or 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
• Make sure the milk is not too hot when you mix it with the eggs it should be warm to avoid scrambling the eggs.
• Keep the saucepan on a low heat to thicken the mixture if you turn the heat up the eggs will scramble.
• If you notice any unwanted lumps in your mixture whisk it using a hand whisk to smoothen it out.
• Use full-fat milk for best results. If you do use semi-skimmed milk it will still work but will take longer to thicken (around 15 minutes).
• cover the Crema Pasticcera with plastic wrap as it cools to avoid a skin forming.
• Once cooled completely place it in the fridge until ready to use.
• The pastry cream will keep well for around 4-5 days in the fridge.
• We do not recommend freezing as pastry cream can split when frozen.

Ingredients

Makes 15 servings (around 700g)

• 5 egg yolks ((large eggs))
• ⅓ cup sugar ((70g))
• ¼ cup cornstarch (Cornflour in the UK (30g))
• 2.5 cups full-fat milk ((590ml))
• ½ tsp vanilla paste (* see notes)

Method

1. Warm the milk and vanilla in a saucepan then set aside.

2. Mix the egg yolks and sugar together until combined then add the cornstarch and mix it thoroughly.

3. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture whilst whisking constantly to avoid any lumps.

4. Once incorporated, pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan and heat it on a medium-low heat.

5. Stir the mixture constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is very thick in consistency (about 10 minutes). If you find it isn't thickening turn the heat up but keep stirring to avoid scrambling the eggs (use a whisk to get rid of any small lumps if needed).

6. Once thickened, pour the pastry cream into a clean bowl and place plastic wrap directly on top to stop a skin forming.

7. Let the mixture cool then place in the fridge until ready to use.

Kitchen notes

• Instead of vanilla paste you can use 1 whole vanilla pod with the inside scraped out and added to the milk (remove the pod when adding the milk to the egg) or 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
• Make sure the milk is not too hot when you mix it with the eggs it should be warm to avoid scrambling the eggs.
• Keep the saucepan on a low heat to thicken the mixture if you turn the heat up the eggs will scramble.
• If you notice any unwanted lumps in your mixture whisk it using a hand whisk to smoothen it out.
• Use full-fat milk for best results. If you do use semi-skimmed milk it will still work but will take longer to thicken (around 15 minutes).
• cover the Crema Pasticcera with plastic wrap as it cools to avoid a skin forming.
• Once cooled completely place it in the fridge until ready to use.
• The pastry cream will keep well for around 4-5 days in the fridge.
• We do not recommend freezing as pastry cream can split when frozen.