A vanilla custard cake filling, pastry cream cake filling, or Crème pâtissière cake filling as known in French can be an absolute treat hidden between two layers of cake. That creamy sweet goodness is made from eggs, milk, and sugar. Try it as a cake filling, in layered trifles, or alongside a delicious warm brownie. It's a luxury in all forms. This is my no-fail recipe that works every single time.
Table of Content
As a kid, I would get confused when mom would sometimes say vanilla custard, and other times she would say pastry cream? They both look the same. Well, honestly they are almost the same.
I remember my mom's custard was thick and creamy goodness. She made it by thickening milk with eggs and sugar. I'd sit patiently when she'd pour the custard so I could lick the pot clean. Oh, that pot didn't need any cleaning because we did a great job of licking every bit of cream in there.
Why make this filling?
If you look at my classic vanilla pastry cream recipe it is slightly different from this one. The main difference is pastry cream has more sugar, less starch, and no whipping cream.
I make this vanilla custard a bit more durable so it has more body to stay in between layers. But, I also make it more creamy and rich so every slice of cake just melts in the mouth. Using less sugar works great because most cakes are frosted with more sugar syrups and frosting anyway.
Today, I have shared with you the classic method of making this custard or pastry cream. But, I do have a one-pot, no-fuss method with video. Both methods will produce smooth, creamy, and velvety custard cake filling.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Milk - Use regular full-fat milk, not low-fat milk. The milk is one of the main ingredients here, so make sure you use at least 3% fat. Low fat will just not thicken enough.
- Egg yolks - We do need good quality, large egg yolks here. It's what gives the pastry cream its richness. The egg yolks also contribute to the color of the final product. So, I prefer to use organic eggs with a light orange color. Again this is optional, the regular egg yolks work just fine.
- Vanilla - You also must use good quality vanilla for this pastry cream. It does make a huge difference. I use a vanilla bean but you can also use 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Cornstarch/cornflour - In addition to the egg, this cornstarch will help thicken the pastry cream even more. You can add more or less depending on the consistency of pastry cream you need. You can also use custard powder instead of corn starch.
Vanilla custard cake filling
- In a mixing bowl combine egg yolks, sugar, salt, and flour/cornstarch. Whisk until light and foamy. Set aside
- Heat milk, whipping cream, and vanilla bean scrapings in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let come to an almost boil but do not boil.
Pro tip - We prevent the milk from boiling so it does not curdle the milk in the next step. - Once the milk has reached an almost boiling point. Carefully pour some of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture a little at a time.
Pro tip - This has to be done gradually. Start with ¼ cup of the milk to eggs - mix thoroughly. Followed by another ¼ cup - mix thoroughly. - Once almost half the mixture has been added, the eggs should have been tempered. Now, pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk to continue cooking.
Stovetop
- Place the saucepan back on low heat and continue to cook stirring constantly. The mixture will slowly start to thicken. Continue to cook on low until the custard is thick and coats the back of your spoon.
Pro tip - This has to be cooked slowly on low heat with constant stirring or the mixture will curdle. You will notice the big bubbles start to disappear as the mixture thickens. - When done - strain thru a sieve. Finally, add the butter and give it a good mix.
Pro tip - Straining the mixture will remove any curdled eggs and the butter will give it a nice velvety texture. - Cover the custard with plastic wrap making sure the plastic is in contact with the surface of the custard to prevent skin from forming.
Pro tip - A skin will make a very lumpy custard filling so we want the plastic to touch the surface of the custard.
Cool
- Place in the fridge to cool completely. When cooled place the custard in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and whip for 3 minutes on high.
Pro tip - The cream in the custard will whip light and fluffy. It also gives a smooth glossy filling that looks like mousse and will hold better - If not using immediately continue to chill in the fridge. Once chilled your custard is ready to be used as the cake filling, trifles, tarts, or any dessert that calls for pastry cream. It is delicious on its own too
The right method to fill cakes
If you are a cake decorator then by now you know what I mean when I say you need to have a buttercream or frosting dam around the edge of your cake layer before you add any soft filling be it this vanilla custard cake filling, strawberry, blueberry or any of those exotic cake filling recipes I have on this blog.
The frosting dam has to have a thick consistency in order to keep the filling from oozing out of the cake. Once you have a dam securing the filling you can do all kinds of decorations. Whether you just make a simple dessert cake or whether you want to cover it with fondant and add more accessories. See my video tutorial on how to level, torte, fill and frost a cake like a pro
What is pastry cream (creme patisserie) used for?
- Very commonly used in classic profiteroles, mille-feuille, and chocolate eclairs.
- Use pastry cream as a cake filling for a layered cake.
- Add some strawberry puree and whipped cream to creme patisserie make a quick strawberry mousse.
- And, add some melted chocolate and whipped cream to pastry cream to make a quick chocolate mousse.
- Spread creme patisserie evenly in a pre-baked tart shell topped with your favorite fruits and you have a fruit tart.
- Also, you find it often used in most bakeries and restaurants as a filling for cakes and pastries.
- In addition, one of the easiest desserts you can create is a custard pie such as fruit tart with vanilla pastry cream as a base topped with fresh fruits as I did in my Blueberry Tart or Fresh Strawberry Tart.
More custard based recipes
- Cream Puffs, Cheesecake Cream Puffs
- Profiteroles with Vanilla Pastry Cream
- Danish Pastry - Dough, filling, and shaping
- Creme Caramel, Parisian Flan French Custard Tart
- Strawberry Panna Cotta, Blackberry Panna Cotta
- Bavarian Cream (Creme Bavaria ~ Creme Bavarois)
- Strawberry Pudding from Scratch
Frequently asked questions
You want to use fresh eggs as aged eggs sometimes add an egg smell to the pastry cream. I use large eggs that weigh about 60 to 70 grams. Organic eggs usually have a wonderful bright orange yolk which gives the pastry cream that rich golden yellow color.
You can make a dairy-free custard by simply substituting the milk in the recipe with almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk. Coconut milk is my favorite and I often use it when I make coconut mousse.
Sure you can! I know that sounds weird because I just told you vanilla custard is made with egg yolks. But over the years we have found that we can make a version that's eggless. I have already shared with you my Eggless Vanilla Pastry Cream recipe and you can use that if you thicken it to the right consistency. So it's thick and delicious. This is my eggless recipe for the BEST Eggless Vanilla Cake Recipe. It's soft moist and delicious.
What's the difference between vanilla custard and vanilla pastry cream?
A custard is typically any mixture that is thickened with eggs. It does not have to be milk and cream it could be chicken stock too. So, custard actually refers to the thickening of that liquid with the perfect tempering of eggs. As a result, you get a sauce that can be used as a base for various recipes.
Vanilla pastry cream is actually a single recipe - with the basic ingredients being eggs, milk, and sugar. It is then thickened to give a thick creamy base to filling pastries and all kinda desserts. Many of the desserts in French cuisine use it.
Custards are more creamy and light because of the delicate eggs. It can be made without any starch too, though the starch does help balance it and keep it from curdling. In comparison, pastry cream has more starch so it's much thicker and works better as a pastry filling.
Troubleshooting
- Why is my pastry cream curdled? Pastry cream needs to be cooked slowly on medium to low heat. Too high heat can cause the eggs to scramble and curdle which results in a lumpy pastry cream
- Why is my pastry cream lumpy? I prefer to use a whisk and cook pastry cream on medium-low heat to keep things moving and homogenous. If the heat is high and the mixing is not even, the custard can get lumpy. Remove it off the heat - give it a good whisk and place it back on low to continue cooking. Adjust heat accordingly.
- Why is my pastry cream is too thin? Crème pâtissière needs to be cooked until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If you take it off too quickly it will be thin and often undercooked.
- Why is my pastry cream is too thick? Too much starch can cause the custard to be too thick or sometimes doughy. So, always measure the ingredients well and use only the amount stated in the recipe. You can thin down a thick creme patisserie by adding a little whipped cream.
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Printable Recipe
Vanilla Custard Cake Filling
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Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Makes 2 ½ cups
- 1 cup (240 ml) Milk ((full-fat))
- 1 cup (240 ml) Whipping cream ((32 to 38% fat))
- 4 large Egg yolks
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar
- 2 tablespoon (15 g) Cornstarch ((or 1 tablespoon flour))
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla bean scrapings ((or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste))
- 2 tablespoon (30 g) Butter ((room temperature, unsalted) )
- ¼ teaspoon Salt ((optional))
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine egg yolks, sugar, salt, and flour/cornstarch. Whisk until light and foamy. Set aside4 large Egg yolks, ½ cup Sugar, 2 tablespoon Cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon Salt
- Heat milk, whipping cream, and vanilla bean scrapings in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let come to an almost boil but do not boil. Pro tip - we prevent the milk from boiling so it does not curdle the milk in the next step.1 cup Milk, 1 cup Whipping cream, 1 teaspoon Vanilla bean scrapings
- Once the milk has reached an almost boiling point. Carefully pour some of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture a little at a time.Pro tip - This has to be done gradually. Start with ¼ cup of the milk to eggs - mix thoroughly. Followed by another ¼ cup - mix thoroughly.
- Once almost half the mixture has been added, the eggs should have been tempered. Now, pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk to continue cooking.
- Place the saucepan back on low heat and continue to cook stirring constantly. The mixture will slowly start to thicken. Continue to cook on low until the custard is thick and coats the back of your spoon.Pro tip - This has to be cooked slowly on low heat with constant stirring or the mixture will curdle. You will notice the big bubbles start to disappear as the mixture thickens.
- When done - strain thru a sieve. Finally, add the butter and give it a good mix. Pro tip - straining the mixture will remove any curdled eggs and the butter will give it a nice velvety texture.2 tablespoon Butter
- Cover the custard with plastic wrap making sure the plastic is in contact with the surface of the custard to prevent skin from forming. Pro tip - a skin will make a very lumpy custard filling so we want the plastic to touch the surface of the custard.
- Place in the fridge to cool completely. When cooled place the custard in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and whip for 3 minutes on high.Pro tip - The cream in the custard will whip light and fluffy. It also gives a smooth glossy filling that looks like mousse and will hold better
- If not using immediately continue to chill in the fridge. Once chilled your custard is ready to be used as the cake filling, trifles, tarts, or any dessert that calls for pastry cream. It is delicious on its own too.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Always use good quality ingredients - fresh eggs is very important for creme patisserie.
- Heat the milk with the vanilla for a few minutes before you temper the egg yolks. This lets the milk infuse with the vanilla and results in wonderful rich vanilla flavor.
- Whip the egg yolks, sugar, and starch with a whisk until light and fluffy to prevent lumps.
- There is no need to rush the tempering process. Take your time and pour a little at a time carefully. What is important, is that you continue to move the egg mixture while pouring the milk to prevent curdling.
- A whisk or wooden spoon works great when stirring.
- You must stir all the time - this will prevent the milk and egg from curdling and you will have a silky smooth custard.
- Stirring can be very boring but it is important to keep the heat med-low and stir constantly.
You want the mixture to cook and thicken at the same time. If you thicken it too fast, it may curdle but it may also be undercooked. The slow process helps cook the eggs as well as the cornstarch. The mixture will look reduced in quantity when thickened. - This mixture will continue to thicken as it cools and chills in the fridge.
- Sieve is necessary to remove any lumps - giving you a smooth velvety creamy pastry.
- Always cover the top surface of the custard to prevent any skin from forming. If you don't that skin will later result in lumpy pastry cream.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Amber
Amazing instructions and video for this first timer. Thank you!