Lemon Pastry Cream

by

Lemon Pastry Cream

Lemon pastry cream is a smooth, rich, and wonderfully bright filling with a creamy texture and fresh citrus flavor. It’s perfect for filling cakes, tarts, cream puffs, éclairs, pastries, or layering between cookies and sponge cake.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Heat the milk: Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and add the lemon zest. Warm it over medium heat until it is hot and steaming, but do not allow it to come to a full boil.
  2. Whisk the egg mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until the mixture becomes smooth and slightly lighter in color.
  3. Temper the eggs: Slowly pour about half of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. This gradually warms the eggs and helps prevent them from scrambling.
  4. Combine and cook: Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens into a smooth custard. This usually takes about 3–5 minutes.
  5. Add the butter and lemon: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the butter, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla extract until completely smooth and glossy.
  6. Strain the cream: For an especially smooth pastry cream, pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any lumps or pieces of zest.
  7. Cool: Press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Allow it to cool at room temperature briefly, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  8. Whisk before using: Once chilled, whisk the pastry cream briefly until smooth and creamy before filling your pastries or desserts.

Helpful Tips

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the brightest flavor. When cooking the custard, keep whisking continuously, especially around the bottom and corners of the saucepan, to prevent scorching or lumps.

Serving Ideas

Use this lemon pastry cream as a filling for éclairs, cream puffs, fruit tarts, cupcakes, layer cakes, or sweet crepes. It also makes a delicious filling for simple pastry shells topped with fresh berries.

Leave a Comment