This Crema Pasticcera is the ultimate Italian pastry cream that can be used to add richness to many desserts or to enjoy on its own as a treat topped with fresh fruits!
Crema Pasticcera, also known as pastry cream, is a rich and velvety custard commonly used in Italian pastry and dessert recipes. It serves as a delicious filling for a variety of treats such as cornetti, bomboloni (doughnuts), and crostate prepared with pasta frolla.
This easy crema pasticcera recipe involves heating milk with sugar and vanilla until it’s warm, then gradually adding a mixture of egg yolks and flour while continuously stirring.
This results in a creamy custard that can be flavored with vanilla, citrus zest, or other extracts depending on the desired taste. Let me show you how easy is to make!
Ingredients
- Egg yolks: These are the stars of the show, giving that rich, creamy vibe to the custard. Make sure they’re fresh!
- Sugar: Sweetens the deal. It’s all about finding that perfect balance between sweetness and richness.
- All-purpose flour: This is your thickening agent. Keeps everything together and gives that perfect consistency.
- Milk: The base of the whole shebang. Whole milk is great for that creamy texture, but you can experiment with others too!
- Vanilla beans: Adds that magical aroma. Seriously, it elevates the whole thing. You can substitute it with vanilla paste or vanilla extract.
How to Make Crema Pasticcera
Start by gathering all ingredients, weigh them, and gather the utensils you will need as well.
Pour the milk into a saucepan. Cut the vanilla pod longwise and then with the tip of the knife scrap out the tiny seeds into the milk. Heat the milk over medium heat, just make sure to not bring it to a boil. Set aside.
In a large saucepan place the egg yolks, sugar, and flour. Whisk until everything is combined and there are no lumps.
Pour the warmed milk into the saucepan with the yolk mixture while whisking vigorously until nicely combined.
Next, place the saucepan over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.
Set heat to the lowest and keep cooking while stirring for 4-5 more minutes.
Once you see the mixture has a nice thick texture that will fully coat the back of a spoon, the crema pasticcera is ready.
Remove the saucepan from the stove and allow the preparation to reach room temperature. Make sure to stir now and then to prevent the custard from forming a skin on top.
If you want to speed up things, place the pan inside a bowl filled with cold water and stir until the pasticcera cream is cooled down.
You can now use your Italian pastry cream or store it for later.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- When you’re warming up the milk, take it easy. If it gets too hot too fast, it can mess up your egg mix by cooking it too quickly and forming lumps.
- Heating the milk with vanilla will add a real kick of flavor and will make the custard smell amazing.
- The secret to getting that crema pasticcera super smooth and creamy is to keep whisking. Seriously, don’t stop. It’s like a workout for your arm, but totally worth it.
- But hey, if despite all your efforts, you end up with lumps in your cream, don’t worry. Just grab an immersion blender, give it a quick whirl for a few seconds, then keep cooking it for another couple of minutes.
- Don’t freak out if your pastry cream starts to bubble a bit while it’s cooking. As long as you’re stirring like a champ, it won’t burn or stick to the pot. Keep that whisk moving!
Italian Pastry Cream Variations
Italian Pastry Cream can be made also with other variations, depending on what you’re going to use it, you might like to take a look at these:
- CHOCOLATE – Add 2 Tablespoons of cacao powder to make chocolate pastry cream. Delicious!
- LIQUORED – You can use different types of liqueur, such as Limoncello, Mistrà, Grappa, Cognac, Sambuca, or even Kahlúa to achieve a liquored Italian pastry cream.
- CITRUS – Add lemon rind for an amazing cream that you can use for filling a lemon ricotta cake, crostata, or a ciambellone. But you can also use the rind of oranges, kumquats, clementines, etc.
How To Use
Crema pasticcera is a versatile custard that finds its way into various delicious treats. In bakeries and households across Italy, you’ll find it inside cornetti (croissants), crostate (tarts), and many other pastries. It’s like the Italian version of custard but with its own unique flair.
How to Store
Italian pastry cream can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Transfer it to an airtight container and place a layer of plastic wrap on contact with the custard, this will help to prevent a solid skin forming on top.
You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge, then stir until creamy again (don’t need to reheat), and use right away.
More Sweet Italian Recipes
Loved my Crema Pasticcera recipe? Then please don’t forget to rate it below in the comments! You can also share and follow this blog on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Print The Recipe
Crema Pasticcera (Italian pastry cream)
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup white sugar
- 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- seeds from a vanilla pod (or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract)
Instructions
- Add the milk to a saucepan. Cut the vanilla pod longwise and then with the tip of the knife scrap out the tiny seeds into the milk.
- Heat the milk over medium heat but don't bring it to a boil. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan place the egg yolks, sugar, and flour. Whisk until everything is combined and there are no lumps.
- Pour the warmed milk into the saucepan with the yolk mixture while whisking vigorously until everything is combined.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.
- Set heat to the lowest and keep cooking for 4-5 more minutes.
- When the mixture has a thick texture that will fully coat the back of a spoon, the crema pasticcera is ready.
- Remove the saucepan from the stove and allow the custard to reach room temperature. Make sure to stir every now and then to prevent it from forming a skin on top.
- Use immediately or store for later.
Notes
- Do not overheat the milk because it can ruin the egg mixture by cooking them and forming lumps.
- Heating the milk with the vanilla makes the pastry cream more flavored and with a more intense aroma.
- The key to making Crema Pasticcera smoother and creamy is to never stop whisking.
- If you notice that there are lots of lumps on the cream (despite everything), blend it for a few seconds, then keep cooking for 2 more minutes.
- If a skin has formed on the surface, do not mix it! Just carefully remove it and discard it.
- Don’t be scared if the pastry cream simmers a little bit while you’re cooking it. As long as you keep whisking constantly it won’t burn or stick on the bottom.
When I visited Italy, I fell in love with their pastries because of its cream! I was looking for recipes to mimic the taste and good thing I saw this! I made it and it’s just how I remember, the velvety taste and it’s oh so fragrant aroma! Your blog is such a lifesaver!