Homemade Custard Recipe (Pastry Cream) (2024)

FAQs

Is pastry cream the same as custard? ›

Put simply, pastry cream is a type of custard. Adding cornstarch to the vanilla custard will give you a thick, firm substance (almost like vanilla pudding) that will hold its shape when piped. Custard that you can pour, which is only thickened with eggs, is actually called crème anglaise.

Pastry cream is a delicious pudding-like custard that you never knew you needed! Also called Crème Pâtissière, this French recipe is an important part of many desserts, like eclairs and fruit tarts. It is similar to vanilla pudding but much thicker (perfect for piping and filling Bavarian Cream Donuts!)

There are two main, easy to remember differences between crème anglaise and pastry cream: starch and boiling. The methodology and most of the ingredients are the same, except pastry cream incorporates flour or cornstarch and therefore needs to be boiled. This results in a much, much thicker custard.

Starch. Starch thickens pastry cream. Most recipes incorporate flour, cornstarch, or a mix of the two. I found that flour produced a thicker, heavier texture and imparted an undesirable “floury” taste.

Bavarian Cream is made from a Crème Anglaise base (milk, vanilla, egg yolks and sugar), thickened with Gelatine and lightened with Whipped Cream. Pastry Cream (or Crème Pâtissière) is relatively similar to a Crème Anglaise but is thickened on the stove with Cornstarch (or sometimes flour).

Bavarian cream and pastry cream are not the same. While both are custard-based fillings, Bavarian cream is lightened with whipped cream and set with gelatin, giving it a mousse-like texture, while pastry cream is a thick and creamy custard made with eggs, milk, sugar, and flour or cornstarch.

Both have a sweet flavor and velvety texture that can be used to punch up all kinds of desserts. Don't be fooled, though; custard sauce and pastry cream differ in both composition and consistency. For this reason, the two ingredients can rarely act as substitutes for one another when cooking.

Vanilla Bavarian Cream: Vanilla pastry cream lightened with whipped cream. A more flavorful and delectable cream filling as opposed to plain whipped cream. Vanilla Custard: A mixture of milk, egg yolks, and sugar cooked to a pudding consistency; also called pastry cream.

Pastry cream is unlike vanilla custard sauce because it has a different texture. While both pastry cream and vanilla custard sauce are thick and creamy, pastry cream has a smoother and denser texture compared to the lighter and more delicate texture of vanilla custard sauce.

*Ironically, the term “crème anglaise” translates as “English cream,” not because the French believed that the custard was an English invention but because they perceived it as characteristic of the English.

How to prevent custard from curdling? ›

Overheating the custard can cause it to curdle or separate. To prevent this, cook the custard over low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Do not let the custard boil. When adding eggs to the custard mixture, add them slowly while whisking continuously.

Despite its French moniker, Crème Anglaise is named as a nod to its English roots. It is essentially a pourable version of the custard that originated in medieval England, known for its slightly sweetened, egg-enriched milky concoction.

The cornstarch: This recipe makes a very firm pastry cream that, when chilled, cuts neatly — a particularly nice thing when you're using it for tarts and cakes. If you'd like a more fluid cream, use a little less cornstarch. The butter: The butter adds richness to the cream as well as body.

Runny pastry cream most often comes from undercooking the egg yolk mixture. If you remove it from the heat too soon, the amylase in the egg yolks won't break down and will prevent the cream from fully setting. If you find your crème pâtissière is too thin, return to heat and bring to a boil over medium heat to thicken.

The grainy texture is caused by the proteins in the egg yolk clumping together. The custard is still safe to eat, but the texture can be unpalatable. Sometimes it is possible to rescue a curdled custard enough so that it can be used as a base for ice cream, it depends how badly the custard has curdled.

Can you really make custard without cream? Yes, definitely. Milk and eggs will still provide a delicious creamy texture and taste. You can use either whole milk, or skimmed milk if want a low fat custard.

Crème anglaise (French: [kʁɛm ɑ̃glɛz]; French for 'English cream'), custard sauce, pouring custard, or simply custard is a light, sweetened pouring custard used as a dessert cream or sauce.

Pastry cream is basically glorified vanilla pudding, but the best, richest vanilla pudding you've ever had. The texture is thicker and more luxurious, while the flavor is softer and tastes like real vanilla instead of something artificial.