Italian Pastry Cream: Crema Pasticcera (2024)

Published: May 9, 2020, Last updated: Sep 3, 2021 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links.

How to make Italian Pastry Cream (Crema Pasticcera) from scratch in only 10 minutes. This smooth and creamy vanilla pastry cream can be used for so many delicious desserts from Italian doughnuts, pastries, cakes or tarts, the list is endless!

Crema Pasticcera is just incredible!

If you've ever ordered a pastry or doughnut alla crema at a bar in Italy it comes heavily filled with pastry cream.

Everyone makes theirs slightly different adapting it with different citrus zest usually lemon or orange and sometimes it's spiked with a little Limoncello or La Strega liqueur, omg it is so delicious!

This recipe is for a basic Italian pastry cream with vanilla but you can easily adapt it with lemon or your liqueur of choice.

We also have a chocolate version which is so rich a decadent, perfect for all kinds of chocolate desserts!

Ingredients you need

The ingredients are super simple; eggs, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and full-fat milk. I recommend using full-fat milk because it thickens quickly and gives a rich and creamy flavour to the pastry cream (see the photo below that shows all the ingredients you need).

Step by step photos and recipe instructions

Warm the milk in a saucepan then set aside.

In a bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar just until combined. Add the cornstarch (cornflour UK) and mix it into the eggs until combined (photos 1 -3).

Slowly pour the warm milk into the bowl with the eggs constantly whisking until everything is mixed together (make sure the milk is just warm and not hot so the eggs don't scramble) (photos 5 & 6).

Once combined pour the mixture back into the saucepan you warmed the milk in.

Heat it on a low heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes until very thick (photos 7 & 8).

Top Tip: Be patient with the custard mixture it'll take about 5 minutes before it starts to thicken at all but then it'll thicken very quickly. After 10 minutes it should be at the right consistency (see photos for reference).

Once thickened pour the pastry cream into a clean bowl and place plastic wrap directly on top of the cream so a skin doesn't form (photo 10).

Once cooled completely place the bowl in the fridge until ready to use.

Different flavours and variations

There are so many ways to adapt Italian pastry cream, here are some suggestions you might want to try:

• Lemon zest (1 whole unwaxed lemon)
• Orange zest (1 whole orange)
• Limoncello (around 1-2 tbsp)
• La Strega liqueur (around 1-2 tbsp)
• Marsala wine (around 1 tbsp)
• Cointreau liqueur (around 1-2 tbsp)

How to store pastry cream

The Crema Pasticcera will keep well in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

It's important to keep it covered either in a bowl with plastic wrap or in a sealed container so a skin doesn't form on top.

If you notice a skin has formed simply scrape it off the top to remove it, if you mix it in you'll end up with lumps.

Pastry cream can easily split and curdle when frozen so I don't recommend freezing.

Fun ways to use it

I have great memories of eating cornetti (Italian croissants) filled with Crema Pasticcera for breakfast while I was studying Italian in Pisa. Served with a dusting of powdered sugar and a cappuccino it just doesn't get much better!

Pastries are the ultimate way to use this pastry cream whether it's croissants, Sfogliatelle or Italian doughnutsthe list is endless.

You can also use it to fill little pastry tarts or Torta della Nonna (a delicious baked custard tart topped with pine nuts).

I also love to fold the pastry cream with whipped cream and use it as a filling and frosting for cakes, delicious!

Check out our chocolate pastry cream recipe too for making all kinds of chocolate desserts, it's just as easy!

Top tips for making Italian Pastry Cream

• Instead of vanilla paste, you can use 1 whole vanilla pod with the inside scraped out and added to the milk (remove the pod when adding the milk to the egg) or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• Make sure the milk is not too hot when you mix it with the eggs it should be just warm to avoid scrambling the eggs.
• Keep the saucepan on a low heat to thicken the mixture if you turn the heat up the eggs will scramble.
• If you notice any unwanted lumps in your mixture whisk it using a hand whisk to smoothen it out.
• Use full-fat milk for best results. If you do use semi-skimmed milk it will still work but will take longer to thicken (around 15 minutes).
• Make sure to cover the Crema Pasticcera with plastic wrap as it cools to avoid a skin forming.
• Once cooled completely place it in the fridge until ready to use.
• The pastry cream will keep well for around 4-5 days in the fridge.
• I do not recommend freezing as pastry cream can split when frozen.

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