Mastering Homemade Caramel Pastry Cream: Your Ultimate Guide to Smooth, Flavorful Crème Pâtissière
There are few flavors as comforting and sophisticated as caramel. That rich, golden hue and deeply complex sweetness instantly elevate any dessert. This Caramel Pastry Cream is not just another filling; it’s a testament to the transformative power of sugar, resulting in a smooth, incredibly creamy, and profoundly caramel-flavored delight. It is the perfect filling for a wide array of exquisite desserts, including elegant tarts, flaky classic puff pastry creations, delicate cream puffs, classic éclairs, or even as a surprisingly delicious twist on a beloved banana cream pie! Prepare to impress with this luscious, versatile crème pâtissière.
Pastry cream, or crème pâtissière as it’s known in French culinary circles, is undeniably one of the hardest-working and most fundamental recipes in any baker’s repertoire. Its versatility is truly unmatched, serving as a cornerstone for countless delectable desserts. Much like its nutty counterpart, almond cream, it can be generously baked into fluffy Danishes, providing a rich and moist center. It shines as a luxurious filling for various tarts, such as a vibrant puff pastry fruit tart, or piped into delicate éclairs and airy profiteroles. When lightened with freshly whipped cream, it transforms into an even more ethereal filling, ideal for layered trifles like this autumnal maple pumpkin trifle, decadent donuts, elegant parfaits, or classic pies. Furthermore, it serves as the essential base for creating a smooth and stable German buttercream, a favorite for decorating cakes and cupcakes.
While many pastry cream recipes rely on adding flavorings at the final stage, this particular recipe offers a delightful and unique variation on my classic vanilla bean pastry cream. Instead of simply stirring in caramel sauce at the end – which is often expected and can sometimes lead to an overly sweet result – we craft the caramel from the very beginning. This innovative approach allows the deep, complex notes of the caramel to meld seamlessly with the custard as it cooks, resulting in a crème pâtissière that is subtly less sweet and boasts a delicate, nuanced caramel flavor profile. If you crave a more intense caramel experience, you have the option to fold in additional caramel sauce at the end while the pastry cream is still warm, allowing you to customize the flavor to your preference.
Table of Contents
- Why You Will Love This Caramel Pastry Cream Recipe
- My Professional Tips for Achieving Perfectly Smooth, Lump-Free Pastry Cream
- Essential Ingredients for Caramel Pastry Cream
- How to Make Caramel Pastry Cream: Step-by-Step Guide
- How to Prepare Pastry Cream for Use (Conditioning)
- Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip for Success
- Creative Ways to Use Your Delicious Caramel Pastry Cream
- How to Store Caramel Pastry Cream
- Frequently Asked Questions About Pastry Cream
- Caramel Pastry Cream Recipe Card
- Before You Go!
Why You Will Love This Caramel Pastry Cream Recipe:
- Unforgettable Big Caramel Flavor. What truly sets this recipe apart is our unique method of integrating the caramel from the very outset. By starting with a dry caramel rather than merely incorporating caramel sauce at the end, we develop a deep, complex flavor profile that permeates every spoonful. This ensures that the resulting crème pâtissière is not only lightly sweetened but bursts with an authentic, rich caramel essence, creating a more sophisticated and less cloying taste.
- Easy-to-Follow Instructions for Perfect Results. While the concept of pastry cream might seem intimidating to some, I believe the simplest recipes often present the greatest challenges in terms of execution. That’s why I’ve meticulously crafted these instructions to be as clear and intuitive as possible. I’ll share all my best professional tips and tricks, empowering you to consistently achieve a perfectly smooth, lump-free, and exquisitely flavorful caramel pastry cream every single time, regardless of your baking experience.
- The Perfect, Stable Hold. Achieving the right consistency is paramount for a versatile pastry cream. Think of it like finding the ideal hairspray for your perfectly coiffed style – the right balance is crucial. In pastry cream, the precise ratio of cornstarch and eggs is critically important. Too little thickener, and your cream will be loose and runny, unable to hold its shape. Too much, however, can negatively impact the delicate caramel flavor and cause the cream to “weep” or release moisture prematurely, leading to a less desirable texture. This recipe strikes that ideal balance, providing a stable cream that holds beautifully for all your culinary applications.
My Professional Tips for Achieving Perfectly Smooth, Lump-Free Pastry Cream
Beyond the common pitfalls of burning or undercooking, lumps are one of the most frequent challenges home bakers face when making pastry cream. To ensure your caramel crème pâtissière is impeccably smooth, you need to be on high “lump-alert” at a few critical stages of the cooking process. Following these professional tips will help you navigate these moments with confidence.
- Whisk Cornstarch Thoroughly with Eggs and Sugar. This initial step is absolutely crucial. Before any heat is introduced, thoroughly whisking the cornstarch together with the eggs and sugar serves a dual purpose. Firstly, the sugar acts as a protective barrier, preventing the egg proteins from denaturing (cooking and scrambling) too quickly when the hot milk is added later. Secondly, combining the cornstarch with the eggs and sugar ensures that the starch granules are evenly dispersed. This meticulous mixing prevents the cornstarch from clumping up when it comes into contact with liquid, which is a common cause of grainy, lumpy pastry cream. Achieve a smooth, pale yellow mixture before proceeding.
- Master the Art of Tempering Your Milk. When it’s time to incorporate the hot milk into your egg mixture, patience and control are key. You must add the hot caramel-infused milk slowly and in a controlled, thin stream while whisking the egg mixture constantly and vigorously. This gradual introduction of heat allows the eggs to gently come up to the temperature of the milk without shocking them and causing them to curdle or scramble. Think of it as slowly acclimating the eggs to the heat, rather than throwing them into a hot bath. Proper tempering is fundamental for a silky-smooth custard base.
- Whisk Constantly While the Pastry Cream is Cooking. Once the tempered egg-milk mixture is back on the stove, you absolutely cannot stop whisking! Constant, vigorous whisking is non-negotiable during the entire cooking process. This ensures that the heat is distributed evenly throughout the custard and prevents any bits of pastry cream from coagulating and sticking to the bottom or sides of the pot, which would inevitably burn and create lumps. Pay special attention to the edges and corners of your pot, as these are common areas for sticking and scorching. Keep that whisk moving without interruption until the cream is thick and bubbling.
- Avoid Overcooking or Too High Heat. Precision in cooking temperature and time is vital. If you overcook your pastry cream, or if you cook it at too high a heat setting, the egg proteins can tighten excessively, and the starch can break down, leading to a tough, rubbery, or grainy texture with unwelcome lumps. The goal is to bring it to a boil and cook for just one minute to activate the cornstarch, but no longer. A consistent medium heat allows for even thickening without scorching.
- Cool it Quickly and Properly! Once your pastry cream is perfectly cooked, rapid cooling is essential to halt the cooking process and prevent the formation of an undesirable skin on the surface. My preferred method is to immediately pour the hot pastry cream onto a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap. Spread it out into a thin, even layer – this maximizes the surface area for quicker cooling. Then, cover the surface directly with another sheet of plastic wrap, pressing it down so it touches the entire surface of the cream. This prevents a skin from forming. Finally, poke a few small holes in the top plastic wrap to allow steam to escape, and then promptly transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator. This method ensures your pastry cream cools efficiently and remains beautifully smooth and fresh.
Essential Ingredients for Caramel Pastry Cream
Each ingredient in this caramel pastry cream recipe plays a crucial role, contributing not only to its delightful flavor but also to its perfect texture and stability. Understanding the function of each component will help you appreciate the careful balance within this classic preparation.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar is far more than just a sweetener in this recipe; it’s a multi-functional powerhouse. It provides the necessary sweetness, of course, but critically, it also helps protect the milk from scorching on the bottom of the pot. When tempering the eggs, the sugar acts as a buffer, safeguarding the delicate egg proteins from the sudden heat of the hot milk. Most importantly for this specific recipe, a significant portion of the sugar is melted and caramelized to form the foundational, rich caramel flavor that defines this pastry cream.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the primary thickening agent alongside the eggs, and it’s indispensable for binding all the ingredients together as they cook. In starch-activated, stirred custards like pastry cream, cornstarch also offers a vital protective role for the eggs while the custard is brought to a boil. Without cornstarch, in a purely egg-thickened stirred custard such as lemon curd, boiling would almost certainly lead to immediate curdling and lumps! Cornstarch ensures a smooth, stable, and boil-proof custard.
- Whole Egg: The inclusion of whole eggs is integral to the thickening power of this stirred custard. The proteins in the egg coagulate when heated, contributing to the custard’s structure and richness. Whisking the whole eggs together with sugar at the beginning helps to protect them from the intense heat of the milk, preventing them from scrambling and ensuring a smooth final product.
- Egg Yolk: While whole eggs provide some thickening, egg yolks are superstars when it comes to enriching and thickening custards. They contain more fat than whole eggs and less moisture from the whites, which results in a luxuriously thick, smooth, and incredibly rich custard. The fat in the yolks also contributes to a velvety mouthfeel. However, it’s a delicate balance – using too many yolks can impart an undesirable “eggy” flavor, which we want to avoid for a perfectly balanced caramel cream.
- Whole Milk: As the primary liquid component, milk forms the base of our pastry cream. While the fat content in whole milk certainly adds to the richness and flavor, it’s not as critically essential for the structure as it might be in some other recipes. This offers flexibility; you can confidently use your favorite alternative milk or a lower-fat milk if you prefer, with only a minimal impact on the final texture.
- Vanilla Bean: Vanilla beans are renowned as one of the most exquisite and expensive ingredients in the culinary world, and for good reason. They infuse the pastry cream with an unmistakable, complex, and intensely aromatic flavor that cannot be replicated by extract alone. The tiny black seeds and the scraped pod both contribute to this incredible depth.
Chef’s Tip for Vanilla: This recipe presents the perfect opportunity to utilize a “spent” vanilla pod. If you’ve previously scraped out the precious seeds for another recipe, such as vanilla marshmallows with egg whites or to flavor an Italian meringue buttercream, don’t discard the pod! Infusing the spent pod into the milk for this pastry cream is a fantastic way to extract every last bit of its fragrant essence, adding depth and a subtle vanilla note without needing a fresh, expensive bean. Simply ensure the pod is clean and still aromatic.
How to Make Caramel Pastry Cream: Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these detailed instructions to craft a flawless, smooth, and richly flavored caramel pastry cream every single time. Achieving perfection lies in understanding each step, so pay close attention to the nuances. Further precise details and measurements can be found in the comprehensive recipe card below!
Phase 1: Make the Caramel for the Custard Base
Critical Prep (Mise en Place): Before you even ignite the stove, take the time to meticulously measure out all your ingredients and have them prepped and ready to go. This “mise en place” approach is vital for success, as pastry cream requires a certain rhythm and timing that can be disrupted by fumbling for ingredients mid-process. Additionally, set up a designated “landing spot” for your finished custard – line a rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap or have a large, shallow bowl ready. Pastry cream isn’t inherently difficult, but it absolutely demands a little bit of timing and organized preparation.
Step 1: Infuse and Warm the Milk. In a heavy-bottomed sauce pot, combine the whole milk, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, and the split and scraped vanilla bean pod (you can include the scraped seeds if using a fresh bean, or just the spent pod for infusion). Heat this mixture over medium heat, stirring gently, until it is comfortably warm to the touch but not boiling. The goal is to dissolve the sugar and infuse the milk with vanilla. Once warm, remove from heat and set aside. This warmed milk will later be introduced to the hot caramel, minimizing thermal shock.
Step 2: Create the Dry Caramel. In a second, separate pot – preferably one with high sides (at least 4 inches deep) for safety and to allow for vigorous whisking later – add the remaining 1 ¾ cups of granulated sugar designated for the caramel. Place this pot over medium-high heat. The sugar will begin to melt unevenly; it will first clump, then liquefy, turning a golden color. You may gently stir it a few times with a heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon to redistribute the melting sugar and encourage even caramelization. Unlike wet caramel, it is perfectly acceptable to stir a dry caramel to prevent isolated scorching. However, avoid excessive stirring, as this can encourage crystallization and create stubborn sugar clumps that may not fully melt. If small clumps do form, don’t fret; they can be strained out later if desired.
Step 3: Combine Caramel and Warm Milk. Watch your caramel carefully. It will progress from light amber to a deep, dark amber color. Just as it begins to subtly smoke and deepens in color, slowly and *very carefully* pour the warmed vanilla milk mixture into the hot caramel. Be extremely cautious during this step, as the mixture will violently splatter and pop, releasing a significant amount of steam. Wear oven mitts and pour away from your face. The caramel will likely seize and harden into a solid mass upon contact with the cooler milk – this is completely normal. Return the pot to medium heat and continue to stir until the hardened caramel has completely dissolved and incorporated back into the milk, creating a smooth, caramel-infused liquid. If you encounter any stubborn lumps of undissolved sugar, pour the entire caramel milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl, then return the perfectly smooth caramel milk back into the clean pot.
Phase 2: Prepare the Caramel Pastry Cream
Step 4: Prepare the Egg and Cornstarch Mixture. In a large, heat-proof bowl, combine the whole eggs, egg yolks, and the remaining ⅓ cup of granulated sugar. Whisk this mixture vigorously until it becomes pale yellow in color and has visibly doubled in volume. This aeration helps to create a lighter, smoother custard. Then, whisk in the cornstarch thoroughly until no lumps remain. The sugar protects the eggs, and the cornstarch is evenly distributed, both crucial for preventing lumps later.
Step 5: Temper the Eggs. Bring your caramel-infused milk mixture to a gentle boil on the stove. Once boiling, immediately and slowly pour about one-third of the hot caramel milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly and vigorously. Continue to whisk for 30 seconds to a minute. This gradual addition of hot liquid slowly brings the temperature of your eggs up, preventing them from scrambling. Once tempered, pour the warmed egg-milk mixture back into the pot containing the remaining caramel milk on the stove top. This ensures all ingredients are combined for the final cook.
Choosing the Right Whisk: For superior lump prevention, select a whisk that can effectively reach into all the corners and crevices of your pot. I highly recommend a French (straight) whisk for this task. Its design allows you to efficiently cover the entire surface area of the pot, including those tricky corners. This prevents the custard from sticking, scorching, and clumping along the edges, ensuring an evenly cooked and perfectly smooth pastry cream.
Step 6: Cook the Pastry Cream to Perfection. Place the pot with the combined egg and milk mixture back over medium heat. Whisk continuously and vigorously. You will notice the mixture gradually begin to thicken. Continue whisking until the pastry cream comes to a full, rolling boil. Once it reaches a boil, continue whisking and cooking for exactly 1 minute. This crucial minute ensures that the cornstarch is fully activated, thickening the custard to its optimal consistency, and cooks out any residual raw starch flavor, leaving you with a clean, delicious taste. Do not cut this step short!
Step 7: Cool Quickly and Properly. Immediately after the 1-minute boil, pour the hot custard out onto your prepared plastic wrap-lined baking sheet or into your designated large bowl. Spread it into a thin, even layer for efficient cooling. Cover the entire surface of the pastry cream directly with another sheet of plastic wrap, pressing it down firmly to ensure no air pockets remain. This airtight seal is essential to prevent a skin from forming. Poke a few small holes in the top layer of plastic wrap to allow steam to escape without creating condensation, then transfer the baking sheet or bowl to the refrigerator. Chill thoroughly for several hours, or preferably overnight, until firm.
Emergency Lump Removal: Even with the best intentions and careful execution, sometimes a few stubborn lumps can still appear. Don’t despair! If you do happen to get a few lumps in your cooked pastry cream, there’s an emergency fix. While the custard is still hot, immediately press it through a fine mesh sieve onto your prepared baking sheet or into your cooling bowl. Use the back of a ladle or a sturdy silicone spatula to help push the cream through the sieve, leaving any lumps behind. This will rescue your pastry cream and restore its silky smoothness.
How to Prepare Pastry Cream for Use (Conditioning):
Before you embark on using your chilled caramel pastry cream, there’s a vital, often overlooked step called “refreshing” or “conditioning” it. While chilling, pastry cream sets firmly due to the activation of the starch and coagulation of egg proteins, which can make it quite stiff and even a little lumpy. All this conditioning means is that you need to gently beat it back into a smooth, silky, and spreadable or pipeable consistency. This process won’t remove any actual cooked lumps (that’s what the sieve is for!), but it will re-emulsify the cream, making it a much more pleasant product to eat and work with, ensuring a luxurious mouthfeel in your final dessert. Skipping this step can lead to a coarse or uneven texture.
To condition, place the desired amount of firm, chilled pastry cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Begin beating on medium-low speed and gradually increase to medium-high speed until the pastry cream becomes completely smooth and homogenous. It should be lightened in texture and easily spreadable or pipeable. It is critical, however, not to beat it for too long or at excessively high speeds. Over-beating can cause the starch network to break down, leading the pastry cream to loosen permanently and lose some of its structural hold. Once this happens, it will not firm back up properly even when rechilled, potentially resulting in loose, watery, and unruly fillings that can compromise your finished desserts. Beat just until silky smooth.
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip for Success
Just Keep Whisking! This is my most crucial piece of advice for perfect pastry cream. I know, I know – it feels like your arm is about to fall off just as the custard begins to boil and thicken. It’s incredibly tempting to cut the whisking short once it seems thick enough. But I promise you, that final minute of vigorous whisking after it reaches a rolling boil is absolutely essential! It’s during this minute that the cornstarch fully activates, ensuring your pastry cream achieves its maximum thickening power and, equally important, cooks out any residual raw starch flavor. Cutting this step short will inevitably lead to a pastry cream with a starchy, unpleasant taste and a looser, less stable texture. So, push through that last minute – your smooth, perfectly set, and delicious caramel pastry cream will be your reward!
Creative Ways to Use Your Delicious Caramel Pastry Cream
Once you’ve mastered this luscious caramel pastry cream, a world of dessert possibilities opens up! Its rich flavor and silky texture make it an incredibly versatile filling for both classic and innovative treats. Here are some of my favorite ways to incorporate this delightful creation:
- Decadent Donuts: This recipe was originally conceived as a gourmet donut filling, and it excels in that role! To use, simply refresh your chilled pastry cream until smooth, then transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a long, thin piping tip. Gently poke a hole into the side of a freshly fried, yeasted donut (my recipe for filled donuts provides excellent guidance). Insert the piping bag into the hole and gently squeeze until the pastry cream begins to emerge, indicating a perfectly filled donut. A sprinkle of powdered sugar or a caramel glaze takes them over the top!
- Elegant Tart Fillings: Caramel pastry cream offers a fantastic flavor variation for a multitude of tarts. Spread a generous layer onto a pre-baked puff pastry fruit tart base, then top with your favorite seasonal fruits for a stunning dessert. It’s also exquisite when used in a baked sweet tart crust, serving as a creamy foundation for sliced fresh berries, a warm apple compote, perfectly ripe bananas, or even poached pears. For an extra touch, finish with a light dusting of cinnamon or a drizzle of chocolate.
- Unforgettable Banana Cream Pie: Elevate your classic banana cream pie to new heights by swapping out the traditional vanilla pastry cream for this rich caramel version. The natural sweetness of bananas pairs incredibly well with the deep, buttery notes of caramel, creating an easy yet incredibly flavorful and sophisticated twist on a beloved dessert. A crushed vanilla wafer crust would be an excellent accompaniment.
- Classic French Pastries: This caramel crème pâtissière is a natural fit for many iconic French pastries. Use it as a luxurious filling for delicate cream puffs (profiteroles), elegant Danishes, elongated éclairs (perhaps topped with a simple caramel glaze), or layered within the crisp, delicate feuilles of a mille-feuille (Napoleon). Its stability allows for beautiful presentation in all these applications.
- Layered Trifles or Parfaits: For a quick yet impressive dessert, transform your pastry cream into an airy, cloud-like concoction. Gently fold equal parts (by weight) of refreshed caramel pastry cream with freshly whipped cream (beaten to soft peaks) to create a lightened caramel mousse. Use this as a luscious layer in trifles or parfaits, alternating with cubes of sour cream pound cake, a spiced pumpkin bundt cake, or even a rich red velvet pound cake. Add layers of your favorite fruits like sliced peaches, berries, or caramelized apples for added texture and flavor.
Intensify the Caramel Flavor: For an even more profound caramel punch, you can gently fold up to ½ cup of high-quality salted caramel sauce into the pastry cream while it is still warm, just before cooling. This addition will deepen the flavor significantly. Be mindful, however, that the more caramel sauce you add, the slightly looser the custard will be. Adjust accordingly based on your desired final consistency and application.
How to Store Caramel Pastry Cream?
Proper storage is essential to maintain the quality and freshness of your homemade caramel pastry cream. Once completely chilled, transfer the pastry cream to an airtight container. It will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for up to one week. It’s important to note that after a few days, you might observe a slight separation or “weeping” where the cream begins to leach a bit of moisture. This phenomenon, known as syneresis, is a normal occurrence in starch-thickened custards. To minimize this, storing the pastry cream spread out in a single, thin layer on a plastic wrap-covered baking sheet (as recommended for initial cooling) often leads to less separation compared to storing it mounded in a deep container, as it allows for more even temperature distribution and less compaction.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pastry Cream
I generally do not recommend freezing pastry cream. The delicate starch and egg structure tends to break down during the freezing and thawing process. This often results in a watery, grainy, or separated texture upon thawing, which significantly compromises its smooth, creamy quality. It’s best enjoyed fresh.
Absolutely! This recipe is quite scalable, allowing you to multiply it to create a larger batch. However, there are practical limits: you can make as large a batch as your chosen pot can safely hold without overflowing, and as much as your whisking arm (or your stand mixer if you’re conditioning) can comfortably handle. Be sure to use a wide, heavy-bottomed pot for larger quantities to ensure even heat distribution and prevent scorching.
As explained above, before incorporating your chilled pastry cream into any dessert, you need to “refresh” or “condition” it. This involves beating it (either in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or vigorously by hand with a rubber spatula in a bowl) until it becomes perfectly smooth, silky, and pliable again. This crucial step doesn’t remove lumps, but it re-emulsifies the cream after it has set, ensuring a smooth mouthfeel and easy workability. Trying to fold unconditioned, stiff pastry cream into whipped cream, for example, will result in misery and an unappetizing, chunky texture. Always condition it!
Lumpy pastry cream is a common complaint, but typically stems from a few preventable culprits. The most frequent issues are improperly incorporating the cornstarch or not whisking consistently and thoroughly during the cooking phase. To prevent this, ensure you whisk the cornstarch in with the eggs and sugar until completely smooth before adding any hot liquid – this evenly distributes the starch and prevents it from clumping when heated. Furthermore, choose a whisk that can effectively reach into all the corners and edges of your pot. Continuous, thorough whisking prevents the custard from sticking, scorching, and coagulating along the pot’s interior, which is the primary source of lumps.
If you meticulously followed the recipe instructions and your pastry cream still turns out runny, the most probable reason is that it was not cooked for a sufficient amount of time to properly activate the cornstarch. Cornstarch requires not just heat, but a specific boiling period to reach its full thickening potential. It must continue to cook and boil for a full one minute after it visibly reaches a rolling boil. This ensures the starch granules fully hydrate and gel, yielding a thick, stable pastry cream. Cutting this minute short is the primary cause of a thin, runny custard.
Caramel Pastry Cream
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Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar for caramel
- 4 cups whole milk 1 quart
- 1 vanilla bean split and scraped
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar for milk mixture
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar for egg mixture
- 2 whole eggs
- 4 yolks
- 10 tbsp Cornstarch ½ cup + 2 tbsp
Instructions
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Before you begin, measure all your ingredients and have them ready to go. Set up a landing spot for the finished custard. Line a rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap or set out a large bowl. Pastry cream isn’t difficult but it does require a little bit of timing.
Prepare the caramel
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In a heavy bottomed sauce pot, stir together milk, 1/3 cup sugar and vanilla bean pod. Heat over medium heat until warm. Set aside.
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In a second pot, preferably with sides that are at least 4 inches deep (for safety and ease of whisking), add the 1 ¾ cup sugar designated for the caramel. Heat over medium-high heat. The sugar will melt unevenly, so stir gently a few times to redistribute the melting sugar. It is okay to stir a dry caramel. Stirring too much will create clumps that will never melt. You can strain these out if desired.
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When the caramel has turned a dark amber color and just starts to smoke, slowly pour the warmed milk mixture into the caramel.Be careful, it will splatter and pop. Heat over medium until the caramel has incorporated into the milk. If you have stubborn lumps of sugar, strain them out into another bowl and then pour the caramel milk back into the pot.
Prepare Pastry Cream:
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In a large bowl whisk together eggs, yolks and remaining sugar until pale yellow and doubled in volume. Whisk in cornstarch
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Bring caramel milk to a boil and slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Adding a little at a time will slowly bring your eggs up to the temperature of the milk without scrambling them. Pour the egg milk mixture back into the pot and return to the stove top.
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Tip: Choose a whisk that will get into the corners of your pot. I prefer a French (straight) whisk for this job because it will allow you to cover the surface area and get into the corners. This keeps the custard from getting stuck around the edges and clumping.
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Whisk over medium heat until it begins tothicken and comes to a boil. Continue whisking 1 minute as the custard boils.This activates the cornstarch and cooks out the raw starch flavor.
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Pour hot custard out onto prepared baking sheet or bowl, cover the surface with a sheet of plastic wrap, poke a few holes and refrigerate.
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Emergency Lump Removal: If you did happen to get a few lumps, press it through a fine mesh sieve onto the baking sheet or into the bowl while hot. Use a ladle or silicone spatula to help!
How to Prepare Pastry Cream for Use:
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Before you use pastry cream, you need to “refresh it” or “condition” it. All this means is you need to beat it so that it becomes smooth and silky. This won’t get any lumps out but it will create a more pleasant product to eat and work with.
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Place the desired amount of pastry cream in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth. You don’t want to beat it too long or it will loosen and the cornstarch will lose some of its hold and it will not firm back up when chilled. This can lead to loose, unruly fillings.
Notes
Technique – Pastry cream is a simple recipe, and, as such, each step is integral to the quality of the final results. Each step is intentional and either helps avoid common pit falls or add to the flavor.
Helpful Tools – Sometimes the difference between good and great is choosing the right tool. Choose a whisk that can reach into the corners of your pot.
Variations – For even more caramel flavor, add up to ½ cup salted caramel sauce to the pastry cream while it is is still warm. The more you add, the looser the custard will be.
Storage – Store caramel pastry cream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. It will begin to leach moisture after a few days. This is normal. It will separate less if stored in one layer like on a baking sheet covered in plastic wrap verses mounded in a storage container.
Yield: 1,500 g
Nutrition
Before You Go!
I truly hope you enjoyed crafting and tasting this professional chef-tested recipe for Caramel Pastry Cream. It’s a foundational skill that opens up countless dessert possibilities. Don’t stop here – continue your culinary journey by exploring our other chef-developed Custard Recipes. Each one is designed to bring a touch of professional technique and irresistible flavor to your home kitchen. Happy baking!