A rich and thick lightly scented lemon-infused pastry cream recipe made with eggs, milk, sugar, cornstarch, butter and a pinch of salt. This gluten-free pastry cream is called crema pasticcera in Italian and is an essential component in so many Italian desserts. Follow the tips included to make the best pastry cream!
What do éclairs, Napoléons, cream puffs, Boston Cream Pie, tarts, Zuppa Inglese and so many other desserts have in common?
If you guessed pastry cream, you would be right!
Pastry cream also referred to as crème pâtissière in French and crema pasticcera in Italian, is (according to Wikipedia) a thick custard made from a mixture of cooked ingredients.
These cooked ingredients usually consist of:
- milk
- eggs
- starch
- sugar and
- flavorings.
… and you won’t believe how easy they all come together to make the most luxurious filling.
Instructions
The whole process begins by infusing 2 cups of milk with one organic lemon peel.
So, in a heavy, medium saucepan, combine the lemon peel and milk over medium heat. When the milk starts to steam, remove it from heat and allow it to stand for about 10 minutes. During this time, the milk will get infused with the lemon.
While the milk is being infused with the lemon, let’s start cracking the eggs.
In a glass bowl, whisk the room temperature eggs ( 2 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg) with ½ cup of granulated sugar for about 1 minute.
Add 3 tablespoons of sifted cornstarch and a pinch of salt. Whisk continuously for about 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes light-colored.
Notice how the mixture becomes lighter and paler in color after just five minutes of whisking. Whisking the dry ingredients with the eggs is key if we want a smooth and thick consistency. So don’t be shy… whisk away!
The next step is to combine the two mixtures.
Remove the lemon peel from the warm milk. While whisking continuously, add a ladle of warm milk to the egg mixture. Then, gradually add all the milk while whisking continuously.
It’s now time to transfer the newly formed egg and milk mixture back to the saucepan over medium/medium-low heat.
Whisk continuously for about 5 minutes. You will notice that the mixture will thicken. Do not allow the mixture to come to a boil, as this can potentially cause the mixture to separate.
Once the mixture has thickened, remove it from heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes.
The whisking of 2 tablespoons of butter into the finished product is optional, but it guarantees to add flavor and a lovely gleam to the finished product.
The final step is to transfer this Italian cream to a glass or ceramic bowl and place a piece of plastic film directly on the custard. This will prevent the creation of a film or skin on the cream.
Allow the mixture to cool for 20 minutes and then refrigerate.
The only thing left to do is to wait a couple of hours for your pudding to get cold.
Congratulations! You have just made the best pastry cream!!!
Flavor variations
- vanilla
- almond
- chocolate or cocoa
- coffee
- liqueurs (like Limoncello)
- fruit purees
Tips
- Allow ingredients to come to room temperature before beginning the recipe.
- Use a saucepan with a heavy bottom. Avoid using aluminum as this will create a grayish-looking cream.
- Whisk continuously.
- If your bowl is spinning away from you when combining the warm milk with the eggs, simply place a humid tea towel under your mixing bowl.
- Use medium-low to medium heat to prevent the eggs from curdling.
- Strain warm pastry cream through a strainer if ever the mixture forms any lumps.
- Constant stirring! Yes, I said this already but it is important -no distractions so put away that cell phone.
- The consistency is perfect for cream puffs and eclairs.
- If making a layered cake (for example Boston Cream Pie), adding 1 teaspoon of cornstarch will create a thicker cream.
- If using whole milk, the addition of butter is not necessary.
How to store
This thick and creamy Italian custard must be stored in the refrigerator and only for 4 days. Unfortunately, it splits when frozen so this is not an option.
It is recommended to keep the plastic film directly on the surface of the cream to prevent a thick film from forming. If a crust forms, it is best to remove it.
Flour or cornstarch?
Please note that the proportions and type of the ingredients used to make a vanilla cream filling can vary greatly. The type and amount of starch used to thicken the custard is just one example.
I prefer using cornstarch, not only does this create a gluten-free pastry cream, but there is no “floury” aftertaste.
I have tried so many ratios of flour to cornstarch over the years… once again, I am only sharing my personal preference.
Whole milk or 2%?
Using full-fat milk provides you with a rich and creamy pastry filling. That being said, the same results can be obtained by using 2 % milk and the addition of butter.
Recipe origins
I was fortunate to live with two amazing women who just loved to cook and bake. It goes without saying that my mom and grandmother provided me with so much support and guidance as I began to show an interest, especially in baking.
The initial inspiration for this crema pasticcera came from my mom. Through the years, I switched things around to suit my personal preferences.
The end result is a rich, smooth and decadent filling that is just perfect for so many wonderful treats including these Zeppole di San Giuseppe.
Enjoy!
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
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Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this Italian cream recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Italian Lemon Pastry Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk whole or 2%
- 1 lemon (organic) peel
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 egg yolks room temperature
- ½ cup sugar, granulated scant
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch sifted
- pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons butter see note
Instructions
- In a medium, heavy saucepan, over medium heat, combine the milk and lemon peel.
- When the milk starts to steam, remove from heat (do not allow milk to boil). Let stand for at least 10 minutes allowing the lemon peel to infuse the milk.
- Meanwhile, whisk eggs with sugar for one minute.
- Sift cornstarch and salt together.
- Add these dry ingredients to egg mixture.
- Whisk continuously for about 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes light-colored.
- Remove lemon peel from the milk.
- While whisking continuously, add a ladle of hot milk to the egg mixture.
- Gradually add all the hot milk while whisking.
- Transfer mixture to saucepan and over medium heat, whisk continuously for about 5 minutes. Mixture will thicken. Do not allow mixture to come to a boil.
- Once the mixture has thickened, remove from heat.
- Allow the mixture to cool down for a few minutes.
- Add about two tablespoons of cut up butter and whisk into the mixture until fully incorporated,
- Transfer mixture to a ceramic or glass dish.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap in direct contact with the pastry cream.
- Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Refrigerate until ready to use (should be used within 3 days).
Video
Notes
- Allow ingredients to come to room temperature before beginning the recipe.
- Use a saucepan with a heavy bottom. Avoid using aluminum as this will create a grayish-looking cream.
- Whisk continuously.
- If your bowl is spinning away from you when combining the warm milk with the eggs, simply place a humid tea towel under your mixing bowl.
- Use medium-low to medium heat to prevent the eggs from curdling.
- Strain warm pastry cream through a strainer if ever the mixture forms any lumps.
- Constant stirring! Yes, I said this already but it really is important -no distractions so put away that cell phone.
- The consistency is perfect for cream puffs and eclairs.
- If making a layered cake (for example Boston Cream Pie) the addition of 1 teaspoon of cornstarch will create a thicker cream.
- If using whole milk, the addition of butter is not necessary.
Nutrition
Danni
I absolutely loved the flavors of this custard !!! I was only disappointed in how thick it became in the fridge as I was using it to serve with an Italian style apple strudel ….. less cornstarch maybe??? I wanted more of a runny custard for serving ….. but gorgeous flavors !!👌🏼
Maria
I am happy you enjoyed the taste Danni. I am truly sorry to hear it turned out too thick for you. I use it to layer cakes and to fill cream puffs. Using less cornstarch would definitely thin it out. Another thought I have is perhaps too much milk evaporated, resulting in a really think pastry cream ???
Tammie
Finally made the pastry cream. Actually I made 2 batches because I didn’t think 1 was going to be enough for my trifle. I don’t know if this is supposed to happen but my lemon peel infused milk got a pretty thick skin on it and it looked curdled. I had to put it through a sieve as I was incorporating it to the dry ingredients and after it was cooked. I made sure to take off every bit of pilth that I could (my 2nd batch I became a Pro, lol). I did add some lemon juice because I couldn’t taste the lemon. I also added close to an additional 1 tsp of cornstarch. I really wanted the pastry cream to hold up between layers of cake, whipped cream and 4 different fresh berries. That it did!! I loved the thickness and texture of your pastry cream so much so that I’m deleting all of the recipes I have for a pastry cream. Yep, it’s that good. Thanks for the recipe. Can’t wait to make it in other variations… 😋
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Tammie! I’m not really sure why it developed a thick skin but I’m happy you found a way to make it work!
Elena Menta
Hi Maria,
I too lost my mum so love to keep her memory alive my cooking traditional Sicilian recipes like arancini and crostoli.
I finally found a wonderful lemon custard recipe. Thank you.
Can I use this to fill cannoli??
Kindest regards,
Elena
(From Melbourne, Australia)
Maria
I am sorry for your loss Elena. How wonderful that you are keeping those memories alive.
I would say the consistency of the cream is borderline for cannoli. If interested, this cannoli cream recipe has a better texture. Here is the link: https://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/cannoli-dip-recipe/
Thanks for stopping by.
adele tiberio
This is my childhood, revisited!! I am so, so happy to see this recipe… My mother’sversion was slightly different,,, Hers included the addition of a couple of cinnamon sticks… a sprinkle of cinnamon on each of our dessert (stemmed dishes)… She also used a double boiler… The differences are slight… How wonderful that you are recalling, for all of us, recipes that we have either never had, or have even forgotten! Brava, Maria, Brava!
You have a wonderful site! Thank you, very much…
Maria
Thank you so much for your kind words Adele. Sounds like a delicious variation! Thanks for sharing.
Tammie
Just for clarification…. we’re using 3 TBSP of cornstarch sifted but if we want a thicker custard we’re only adding an additional 1 TSP of cornstarch not another TBSP? I’ve made vanilla custard for a Boston cream pie a few times but this will be my first time making a new flavor. Looking forward to hearing back from you so I can make it.
Maria
Thanks so much for your interest Tammie. When I was testing out the recipe, I found there was a bit of an aftertaste with an additional tablespoon of cornstarch. By only using one teaspoon, it made it slightly thicker without the aftertaste. Great question! Have fun! Thanks again for stopping by.
Iman
Excellent recipe! Cream was silky smooth just like at the pastry shop. No lumps at all and perfect consistency. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Maria
Thanks so much Iman!
Don P.
Great recipe with wonderful explanations. Even your cake version is less starchy than some other versions I’ve seen. The infused cream has a lovely subtle taste, I have bumped it up with a tap. of fresh lemon juice and a scant 1/8 tsp of vanilla extract at the end after whisking in the butter. Either way, the results were luscious!! Thanks so much for this!
Maria
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed this lemon pastry recipe Don. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, appreciate it!
Tammie
I want my custard to be more lemon forward. Thanks for the tip Don. Can’t wait to make this. I plan to use it as a filling for a cake… yum!!
Farah
Ciao Maria! Tried this today & it turned out beautifully! Made this as part of my attempt at fruit tarts and it was all gone by the end of dinner! I had been a little afraid especially with the caution to not “scramble” the eggs etc! super stoked it worked! Question, If I wanted to add fruit purées (am in the tropics and am thinking of mangoes) at what stage should I do that? #stilllearning. Grazie!
Maria
Thanks so much Farah!That sounds wonderful. I have not tried it but I would say that it can be done by replacing some of the milk. Have fun!
Wendy
Deliciously smooth and creamy. Just the right amount of lemon and sugar. Mine took considerably longer to thicken on stovetop as I don’t have gas, but a delightful filling for my pastry braid. Our family favourite is gingerbread, so that will be my next experiment. Thank you so much! Definitely a “keeper” in my recipe collection!
Maria
How wonderful Wendy, I am thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much for taking the time to share, appreciate it!
Liv
Delicious recipe! I infused with a vanilla bean as well as the lemon. Definitely a make again!
Maria
Fantastic Liv! I am thrilled to hear this 🙂 I think I would love the addition of vanilla to this pastry cream… thanks so much for sharing. Appreciate you taking the time to write about your experience with this recipe. Have a great weekend!