Vanilla pastry cream is smooth, silky, and creamy, flavored with vanilla bean paste for amazing vanilla flavor. Use it for cake or cupcake filling, on fruit tarts, or to just eat with a spoon. This pastry cream recipe is easy to make and unbelievably delicious.
Ingredients for Vanilla Pastry Cream
- Heavy cream: You can use either heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
- Milk: I recommend using 2% milk or whole milk to make the pastry cream extra creamy and silky. I do not recommend using skim milk for this recipe.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch serves as a thickening agent. Some recipes call for flour as a thickening agent, but I have found that cornstarch works best.
- Granulated sugar: You can use a bit less or more to taste. I don’t recommend going over 1/2 cup.
- Egg yolks: Large eggs, but just the yolks! Save the egg whites for Swiss Meringue Buttercream!
- Salted butter: A bit of salted butter adds additional creaminess. You will want it cold and cubed. You can also use unsalted butter, just add a small pinch of salt to the pastry cream.
- Vanilla bean paste: For this recipe, I love using vanilla bean paste to get amazing vanilla flavor! It adds small specks of vanilla bean to the pastry cream! You can also use pure vanilla extract.
Tools & Supplies for Making Vanilla Pastry Cream
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Saucepan
- Fine mesh strainer
How to Make Vanilla Pastry Cream
- Heat heavy cream and 1/2 cup milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together cornstarch, granulated sugar, large egg yolks, and 1/2 cup milk.
- Once the heavy cream/milk mixture starts bubbling at the edges of the pan, remove from the heat.
- Very slowly drizzle the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Be sure to drizzle slowly and whisk quickly to temper the egg mixture so it does not turn into scrambled eggs.
- Pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan and place on the stove over medium-low heat.
- Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and is bubbling.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add in cold, cubed salted butter and vanilla bean paste. Whisk to combine until the pastry cream has a pudding-like texture.
- Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Use the back of a spoon to push through the pastry cream to remove any lumps.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.
- Chill for at least 4 hours before using. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Vanilla Pastry Cream Recipe Tips
Tempering
When adding the hot cream to the egg yolk mixture, be sure to drizzle VERY slowly and whisk VERY quickly. This is called tempering. We are slowly increasing the temperature of the egg yolks rather than shocking them with hot cream which would create scrambled eggs. This is a crucial step to making perfect pastry cream.
Straining
I highly recommend running the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer after whisking in the butter and vanilla bean paste. Inevitably, small lumps will form and straining the pastry cream will remove the lumps. Place the strainer over a large mixing bowl. Add some pastry cream to the strainer and use the back of a spoon to press the pastry cream through the strainer. It takes a few minutes but it absolutely worth it!
Add vanilla paste or extract at the end
For the best vanilla flavor, I love adding the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract at the very end. Cooking the vanilla in the pastry cream mutes the flavor. Add the vanilla when adding the butter when it is off the heat. The pastry cream will smell and taste amazing!
How to use vanilla pastry cream
I love using this vanilla pastry cream as a cake filling or cupcake filling. It also makes the perfect filling for cream puffs, eclairs, profiteroles, donuts, mille feuille, and fruit tarts. Or you can just eat it! It’s pretty darn yummy!
Storing
Vanilla pastry cream can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. Store the pastry cream with a layer of plastic wrap directly touching the cream to prevent a skin from forming. DO NOT freeze the pastry cream!
Click here to see a quick video on how to make vanilla pastry cream! Follow Cake Me Home Tonight on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for more recipe videos and baking tutorials!
Vanilla Pastry Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup milk whole or 2% is recommended
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- â…“ cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup milk whole or 2% is recommended
- 2 tbsp salted butter cubed and cold
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add heavy cream and 1/2 cup milk to a medium saucepan. Place over medium-low heat. Heat the cream while working on the next step.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornstarch, granulated sugar, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup milk until smooth.
- Once the heavy cream/milk mixture starts bubbling at the edges of the pan (scalded), remove from the heat.
- Very slowly drizzle the hot cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Be sure to drizzle slowly and whisk quickly to temper the egg mixture so it does not turn into scrambled eggs.
- Once all the hot cream has been added to the egg mixture, pour the custard mixture back into the saucepan and place on the stove over medium-low heat.
- Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and is bubbling about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add in cold, cubed salted butter and vanilla bean paste. Whisk until the butter is melted and the pastry cream is smooth.
- Pour the pastry cream into a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Use the back of a spoon to push through the pastry cream to remove any lumps. Work in small batches for best results.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.
- Chill for at least 4 hours before using. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
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Comments & Reviews
This was my first time making pastry cream — it came out perfectly!! So delicious 🙂
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!