Whole Egg Vanilla Pastry Cream (Creme Patisserie)
This easy homemade pastry cream recipe using whole eggs reduces waste and simplifies your baking! It has the same silky smooth texture as the classic version and is perfect for filling cakes, pastries, tarts, and pies.
Servings 3 cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 150 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 40 grams (4 tablespoons) cornstarch
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste double if using extract
- ¼ tsp salt optional
Instructions
- Heat the milk and vanilla and salt (if using) in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture only just comes to a boil.
- While the milk is heating, whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl until smooth, slightly pale, and somewhat fluffy.
- Add the cornstarch to the egg mixture and whisk until well combined and no lumps remain.
- Pour about half a cup of hot milk in a slow, thin stream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Continue doing this until all the milk has been incorporated into the egg mixture.Note: It’s important that you add the hot milk slowly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. If you add the boiling milk to the egg mixture too quickly or all at once, the eggs will cook and curdle and the pastry cream cannot be made.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook it over medium low heat while constantly whisking, until thickened and it comes to a boil. This will take about 2-3 minutes. Once the mixture comes to a boil, continue to cook it while constantly whisking for about 1 minute more.
- Transfer pastry cream into a heat-proof bowl or let cool slightly and scoop directly into a prepared piping bag (depending on what you want to use it for). Note: After scooping into a piping bag, set it aside until the pastry cream is cool enough to handle.
- Cover with plastic wrap ensuring it is in direct contact with the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin forming. Alternatively, whisk gently every 5 or so minutes until pastry cream reaches room temperature. Use as desired.