The Queen of Pastry: Who? Custard Cream!

Custard cream, whose origins trace back to the late 1600s in France, is a fundamental element in the creation of countless desserts. Often referred to as the "Queen" of fillings and toppings in pastry-making, it’s beloved by all sweet-toothed enthusiasts.

Custard cream is a versatile wonder, perfect for filling and enhancing an array of desserts such as tarts, croissants, puff pastry treats (e.g., cannoli, vol-au-vents, and millefeuilles), as well as fried confections like donuts, fritters, zeppole, and more.

A simple sponge cake transforms into a delectable delight with its addition. It elevates the neutral flavor of choux pastry into a luxurious treat and even adds a special touch to semifreddos and spoon desserts.

It’s amazing how just a few common ingredients—eggs, milk, sugar, and flour or starch—combine to create an inviting, velvety, and flavorful cream suited for countless occasions:

  • Custard cream can be customized with cocoa, chocolate, coffee, pistachio, or a range of other flavorings. For example, Diplomat cream, often mislabeled as "chantilly," combines custard cream and whipped cream for a delightfully light texture. 
  •  Another favorite is lemon custard, perfect for classic desserts like Grandma's Tart or spoon desserts garnished with candied peels. Variants include orange or mandarin custard, ideal as a refreshing dessert.


PROCEDURE

You can find the recipe at the bottom of the page, now let's see the procedure:

    1. Whisk egg yolks with sugar until creamy and smooth. Gradually incorporate sifted flour or starch.
    2. Heat milk gently with vanilla or lemon peel, adding a pinch of salt for enhanced flavor.
    3. Slowly mix the egg and sugar blend into the warm milk, stirring constantly.
    4. Simmer until thickened, ensuring a smooth, lump-free texture. Cool rapidly to prevent bacterial growth.
    5. Once cooled, give it a good, vigorous stir with the whisk. Et voilà! The custard is ready, smooth and shiny.


COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID

They are:

  1. use a saucepan with a normal bottom: better with a thick bottom (or non-stick) to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. A moment of distraction can be fatal and your cream will form ugly burnt lumps;
  2. do not sift the flour (or starch): there is a risk of lumps forming;
  3. bring the cream to the boil too quickly: you run the risk of the cream sticking to the bottom. The best thing is to cook on a low heat;
  4. tire yourself by stirring during cooking: it penalizes the final creaminess and lumps still tend to form;
  5. cool the cream slowly at the end of cooking: to avoid the immediate proliferation of bacteria, but also to avoid the formation of a "pudding skin" on the surface of the cream.

For professional use, a device called "cuocicrema" is often used to continuously stir and cook the ingredients, allowing precise control over temperature, cooking time, and agitation speed. After cooking, the resulting cream is pasteurized and rapidly cooled in hygienic conditions to prevent bacterial growth, as custard, containing eggs and milk, is susceptible to pathogens like salmonella. Therefore, it should be stored properly and ideally consumed immediately.


FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO AVOID THE HASSLE

In addition to the traditional method described, two very effective alternatives are available. These alternatives can successfully replace the preparation of traditional custard:

  • "Hot Traditional Custard Mix": This is a mixture of starches, flavors, and natural thickeners that is cooked together with eggs, milk, and sugar, yielding a perfect and practical result.
  • "Quick Custard Mix": This version thickens with milk and/or water. It doesn’t require heating, and no eggs or sugar are added. In a short time, you’ll have a smooth and delicious custard. It's a great option as it doesn’t contain eggs, so it avoids the risk of bacterial contamination typical of traditional custard.

TRADITIONAL RECIPE

  • Flour or starch: 80-100 g
  • Egg yolks: 200-250 g
  • Sugar: 300-350 g
  • Whole milk: 1000 g
  • Salt: to taste
  • Vanilla extract or vanilla bean: to taste
  • Grated lemon zest: to taste

RECIPE WITH HOT MIX

  • Hot mix: 100 g
  • Egg yolks: 150 g
  • Sugar: 300-350 g
  • Whole milk: 1000 g

RECIPE #1 WITH QUICK MIX

  • Quick mix: 320 g
  • Whole milk: 1000 g

RECIPE #1 WITH QUICK MIX (Alternative)

  • Quick mix: 350 g
  • Water: 1000 g


HOW TO USE PASTRY CREAM

As with all fresh preparations, pastry cream can and should be stored (for a short time) in the refrigerator. What can you do with it? Pastry cream pairs wonderfully with the preparation of many desserts; so let your imagination run wild to create treats and snacks that will make even ordinary days special!

You can choose to use it as a filling for small profiteroles; this is a classic solution. You can then melt some dark chocolate and cover them, or simply dust them with cocoa powder and powdered sugar.

Another simple and quick way to use pastry cream is to mix it with chunks of seasonal fruit and enjoy it in a bowl as a creamy dessert at the end of a meal.

Pastry cream, in addition to being an excellent base for filling cakes, can also be mixed into donut dough in the right proportions to create inviting and soft snacks.

Using puff pastry as a base, you can make desserts filled with cream and pieces of fresh fruit, dusting everything with powdered sugar and white chocolate flakes.

If you still have the ingredients to make a shortcrust pastry base, or if you already have one ready at home, you can have fun preparing a delicious tart with pastry cream, which you can enrich with fruit pieces or chocolate chips.

Moreover, if the Christmas holidays have just ended, what better opportunity to finish off the pandoro and panettone with the help of pastry cream? They can be revamped into fabulous desserts for your guests: zuccotti, apple crumbles, spoon desserts, and much more.

Pastry cream can even be an excellent alternative to mascarpone cream for making a delicious tiramisu. Proceed as usual and substitute the two ingredients: the result will be flawless, and everyone will love it.

Let’s dive into more detail...


SEMIFREDDI

Just like with the alternative tiramisu recipe, delicious pastry cream is an ideal ingredient for creating tasty semifreddos to savor one spoonful at a time.

The base of any semifreddo is made up of three main ingredients: pastry cream, Italian meringue, and whipped cream. By combining these three elements, you will get a semifreddo with a delicate and neutral flavor that you can then flavor and enrich with your favorite tastes.

In fact, it’s enough to mix different ingredients into the classic cream to create fresh and delicious spoon desserts. For example, with instant coffee, you can make a coffee cream to serve cold in a bowl with chocolate chips. Or, by adding pieces of nougat and gianduia, you can make a nougat semifreddo, delicious with a chocolate ganache topping.

By adding whipped cream to pastry cream, you’ll get the Italian version of the famous Chantilly cream, perfect for making a pleasant semifreddo, especially if garnished with hazelnut crumbs.

Finally, we recommend trying the sublime lemon semifreddo: a summer dessert with fresh, flavored pastry cream, lemon meringue, and whipped cream. A delicious treat, perfect after a fish-based meal.


MIMOSA CAKE

The classic mimosa cake is cheerful and colorful, and its name comes from the decoration that resembles the classic flower. For this reason, it’s a perfect dessert to serve on International Women’s Day. The heart of this cake consists of soft diplomatic cream (a blend of pastry cream and whipped cream; be careful not to mix too much, the white/yellow streaks should still be visible).

The procedure for making the mimosa cake is quite simple: it’s a layered cake with sponge cake soaked in an alcoholic mixture with Grand Marnier or, for a non-alcoholic version, with a citrus-scented syrup.

Create three layers covered with cream. Spread pastry cream all around the cake, which will act as the “glue” for covering the top and sides with small cubes of sponge cake (which you have pre-cut!).

Let it rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and serve with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

In some variations, it is common to enrich the pastry cream with small pieces of strawberries, pineapple, or even lemon. You can also make the cream fluffier and softer by adding the right amount of whipped cream to the mixture.


TART

Pastry cream, with its delicate flavor, is also perfect for the creamy filling of tarts instead of the classic jam.

Prepare the shortcrust pastry for the tart according to the traditional recipe and garnish with lemon and vanilla flavored cream. You can also flavor the cream with cinnamon or orange zest. After baking in the oven, you’ll have a delicious dessert that will delight the sweet-toothed and those who love fragrant, intense creams on a base that melts in your mouth.

You can top your tart with fresh fruit: for example, the Easter tart with pastry cream is a great fresh and colorful dessert to serve as a family meal dessert.

Even the most traditional of tarts, such as the apple tart, can be enriched with a soft layer of pastry cream underneath.

This variation can also be prepared with the so-called “blind baking,” which involves first baking the shortcrust pastry shell and then adding the cream and the apples that have been cooked in a pan with a little butter and sugar. The result will be just as delicious, but lighter and fresher.

Alternatively, if there is any leftover shortcrust dough, you can make delicious little baskets with fruit: small pastries filled with pastry cream and fresh seasonal fruit. Try flavoring the cream with almond essence for a delicate and refined dessert. The shortcrust baskets are also perfect for garnishing with hazelnut-flavored pastry cream. Just blend toasted hazelnuts into the cream with a bit of milk and sugar to get a delicious mixture that will please even the little ones.


GRANDMOTHER'S CAKE

Pastry cream is also the base of the classic grandmother's cake: an evergreen dessert that evokes the good, genuine flavors of the past.

Roll out a crispy shortcrust pastry base on a round pan lined with parchment paper. Fill with a generous layer of lemon-flavored pastry cream, garnished with pine nuts and powdered sugar. The rule is to flavor the pastry cream with lemon juice, although in many areas, pastry cream is flavored with vanilla bean seeds or the classic packet of vanilla powder.

You can also personalize your grandmother's cake by adding a layer of jam on the bottom of the shortcrust base before pouring in the pastry cream filling. The jam layer helps prevent the shortcrust from becoming too soggy from the filling.

Thegrandmother’s cake can be served open or closed between two soft, fragrant shortcrust layers flavored with lemon zest. If making the open version, its final form will resemble that of a tart with pastry cream.

It’s the perfect dessert for any occasion, ideal to finish off family meals or as Sunday breakfast.


THE CLASSIC BIRTHDAY CAKE

Pastry cream is a real all-rounder for occasion cakes!

It can be the heart of your birthday cake: prepare the sponge cake, cut it in half, and fill with a nice layer of pastry cream and fresh whipped cream. Cover the edges and top of the cake with whipped cream. With a pastry bag, decorate the edges with little rosettes and write birthday wishes with a thread of melted chocolate! Here’s your beautiful and delicious birthday cake, just like one from a pastry shop!