dessert
Crema Pasticcera Italiana (Italian Pastry Cream)
A classic Italian pastry cream infused with vanilla and lemon zest, ready to fill crostate, sponge cakes, pastries and other desserts.
Jump to recipe ↓- Total time
- 2 h 20 min
- Serves
- 8
- Total weight
- ≈ 739 g
- Difficulty
- easy
What you need
Ingredients
- 400 mlwhole milk
- 4egg yolks
- 80 gsugar
- 36 gcornflour (cornstarch)
- 5 mlvanilla extract
- 1lemon zest, finely grated, from 1 lemon
How to make it
Steps
- 01
Gently heat the milk with the vanilla extract (or the split vanilla pod) and lemon zest in a saucepan until hot and fragrant; do not let it boil.
- 02
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale. Whisk in the cornflour until smooth.
- 03
Gradually pour the warm infused milk into the yolk mixture, whisking continuously.
- 04
Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until the cream reaches 82°C and thickens.
- 05
Transfer to a clean bowl and whisk to help it cool quickly. Cover the surface and refrigerate promptly until thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours.
Per portion · 1/8
Nutrition
Per portion · 1/8 · Estimated values
Macronutrients
- Energy
- 102.9 kcal5% RI
- Protein
- 2.13 g4% RI
- Carbohydrate
- 18.4 g7% RI
- Sugars
- 0 g0% RI
- Fat
- 2.09 g3% RI
- Saturates
- 1.08 g5% RI
- Fibre
- 0.35 g1% RI
- Salt
- 0.07 g1% RI
Vitamins & minerals
- Sodium
- 27.9 mg1% RI
- Potassium
- 86.2 mg4% RI
- Calcium
- 68.8 mg9% RI
- Magnesium
- 7.07 mg2% RI
- Phosphorus
- 61.2 mg9% RI
- Iron
- 0.16 mg1% RI
- Zinc
- 0.29 mg3% RI
- Selenium
- 0 µg0% RI
- Iodine
- 0 µg0% RI
- Vitamin A
- 26.3 µg3% RI
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg0% RI
- Vitamin E
- 0 mg0% RI
- Vitamin K
- 0 µg0% RI
- Vitamin C
- 1.14 mg1% RI
- Thiamin (B1)
- 0.03 mg3% RI
- Riboflavin (B2)
- 0.08 mg6% RI
- Niacin (B3)
- 0.07 mg0% RI
- Vitamin B6
- 0.04 mg3% RI
- Folate (B9)
- 0.85 µg0% RI
- Vitamin B12
- 0.29 µg11% RI
Source: USDA FoodData Central live API. 2026-10-23. RI for an average adult (2,000 kcal per day).
Worth knowing
Notes
- If using a vanilla pod, add it to the milk while heating; remove it before combining the milk with the egg mixture.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the cream reaches 82°C.
Make it yours
Variations
- Use either 5 ml vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod; the lemon zest is used with either option.
For later
Storage
- Keep covered and refrigerated; use within 3 days.
- Do not leave the cream at room temperature for more than 2 hours in total.