Arabic
I’m so excited to kick off my Cake Filling Series with one of my absolute favorite fillings: pastry cream! If you’ve ever swooned over a perfectly filled éclair or a luscious fruit tart, chances are you’ve experienced the magic of this creamy delight. Pastry cream, also known as crème pâtissière, might sound fancy, but trust me, it’s totally achievable at home, and I’m going to show you how.
There’s something magical about pastry cream—made with simple ingredients like egg yolks, milk, sugar, and cornstarch, it’s rich and subtly sweet, with a beautiful vanilla flavor that shines through. This dreamy custard is light yet decadent, making it the perfect filling for éclairs, fruit tarts, cream puffs, and doughnuts. You can even use it in layer cakes, but since it’s soft, I recommend piping a buttercream or ganache dam around the edges of your cake layers to keep it from oozing out. Ready to make your own? Let’s dive into this easy pastry cream recipe—your future desserts will thank you!
Easy Pastry Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks room temp
- 3 Tbsp 23g cornstarch
- 2 cups 480ml whole milk
- ½ cup 100g granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp 14g unsalted butter softened
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Whisk yolks & cornstarch in a heatproof bowl until thick.
- Heat milk & sugar in a saucepan until simmering, then remove from heat.
- Temper the eggs: Slowly pour warm milk into yolks while whisking constantly.
- Strain mixture back into the saucepan (to remove any lumps).
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbly (1–2 min).
- Remove from heat and whisk in butter, vanilla, and salt.
- Cool 10 min, then cover with plastic wrap (pressed directly on the surface).
- Chill 2+ hours before using.
