Home / Recipes / Desserts / Frostings & Glazes / Italian Chocolate Pastry Cream

Italian Chocolate Pastry Cream

This creamy and delicious Chocolate Pastry Cream is perfect for filling cakes, cookies or even pastries, or even a quick Chocolate Tiramisu parfait dessert. Fast, easy and so tasty you will be eating it with a spoon!

Pastry cream in a blue bowl with 3 pieces of chocolate and eggs in a basket.


 

Finding something to fill it with is never difficult. From the Italian Famous Mimosa Cake to our gone-in-seconds Sporcamuss. I also made a really yummy Cappuccino Cookie Parfait with the Coffee Cream.

Unlike a lot of Creams, this cream is made with a good quality melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder and no butter.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Milk – whole milk
  • Cream – whole heavy or whipping cream with at least 30% fat content
  • Egg yolks – room temperature large egg yolks
  • Sugar – granulated or fine sugar
  • Vanilla – vanilla extract
  • Flour – all purpose flour
  • Chocolate – good quality dark chocolate I use a chocolate with 52% cocoa
Ingredients for the recipe.

What is fine sugar?

Fine or Caster sugar is slightly finer and dissolves more easily than regular granulated sugar. You can substitute it at a 1 for 1 basis or you can make your own fine sugar just by blending granulated sugar until fine.

What are room temperature eggs?

Eggs should not be left at normal room temperature (68F- 70F/ 20C – 21C) for more than two hours or if your house is warmer no more than one hour. This is according to the FDA.

A quicker way to achieve room temperature eggs is to place the eggs in the shell in a bowl of warm or very warm water (not boiling or very hot) for 5 minutes, make sure the water is covering them, and then you will have room temperature eggs.

How to make a Chocolate Pastry Cream recipe

Melt the chocolate either in a microwave or in a glass bowl over a pot of water bain-marie on low/medium heat. Set aside to cool to warm.

Melted chocolate in a bowl.

In a medium pot or saucepan, heat the milk and cream until very hot or one bubbles start to form around the edges, but do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool to warm.

In a medium pot add the yolks and sugar, whisk together until combined, then whisk in the flour and vanilla, place the pot over low/medium heat.

The egg yolk mixture mixed in a silver pot.

Pour the warm cream mixture into the egg mixture, and whisk continuously until thickened.

The pastry cream thickened in the pot.

Whisk the melted chocolate into the thickened pastry cream until combined.

The melted chocolate mixed into the thickened pastry cream.

Transfer the pastry cream to a heat resistance glass bowl, cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap (make sure wrap touches the cream mixture) and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before using.

The cream in a bowl covered in plastic wrap.

Depending how long you leave the cream in the fridge you may want to whip it for about 30 seconds to get it nice and creamy again.

The pastry cream from the fridge and whipped until creamy.

What is bain-marie?

It is basically a fancy french term for a hot water bath. To do this, place a pot with water on the burner and a plate on top with the ingredient that needs to be melted or heated. If you are melted chocolate be sure that the water in the pot does not touch the bottom of the dish. Heat the water to a slow boil and stir the chocolate until completely melted and smooth.

Tips for making the best Chocolate Pastry Cream

  • Be sure to use good quality chocolate and whole milk and cream.
  • When adding your hot milk/cream mixture make sure to let it cool a bit so that you don’t end up cooking the eggs.
  • The most important part? (the secret) Is to never stop stirring, this way you will have the perfect pastry cream without any lumps. Keep stirring until the pastry cream has thickened.
  • Then immediately place the hot cream in a glass or ceramic bowl, cover with plastic wrap, make sure the plastic is touching the pastry cream and refrigerate for at least a few hours before using.
Pastry cream in a blue bowl with 3 pieces of chocolate.

The difference between Custard and Pastry Cream

The difference is basically the eggs, whole eggs are used in custard and just egg yolks in pastry cream also known as crème patissière. Pastry cream is the perfect filling for pastries, pies and cakes, such as a Berry Trifle , Italian Donuts also known as Bomboloni or even a Italian Diplomatic Cake.

Flavor Variations

There are so many delicious ways to flavor your Italian pastry filling, lemon is just one of them. Try these other varieties to mix it up! 

  • Vanilla pastry cream: use only vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon of vanilla paste or vanilla bean for a more concentrated flavor. This Vanilla Pastry Cream recipe has all the directions.
  • Lemon: lemon peel without the white is used in this Lemon Pastry cream recipe, substitute with orange peel to make orange pastry cream.
  • Liqueurs: Add 1-2 tablespoons of Limoncello, La strega Liqueur or Cointreau Liqueur.
  • Fruit puree: Stir in your favorite fruit puree to add a different flavor.
  • Pumpkin: For a seasonal variation, try this pumpkin pastry cream
  • Coffee: Brewed and cooled before adding, take a look at my coffee pastry cream for exact measurements.

How to store Pastry cream

You can keep this crema pasticcera in the refrigerator covered for 4-5 days. If a skin forms on the top while in storage, just scrape it off gently with a butter knife. Do not mix it in with the pastry cream, as it will cause unpleasant lumps.

Do not freeze your leftovers. Upon thawing it tends to separate and curdle. 

Pastry cream in a blue bowl with 3 pieces of chocolate.

So when you are looking for something different to fill some tarts, or even cookies, I think you would really enjoy this Creamy Italian Chocolate Pastry Cream. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Pastry cream in a blue bowl with 3 pieces of chocolate.

Italian Chocolate Pastry Cream

Rosemary Molloy
Italian Chocolate Pastry Cream, fast, easy and creamy. The perfect filling for any tart, cookie or Cake. Makes any Dessert Amazing!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chilling Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 1.5 cups
Calories 1156 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • ¾ cup milk (whole/heavy milk)
  • ¾ cup cream (whole, heavy or whipping cream at least 30% fat content
  • 4 large egg yolks (room temperature)
  • ½ cup sugar (granulated or fine sugar)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2½ tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 2 ounces dark chocolate (good quality, I use one with 52% cocoa)

Instructions
 

  • Melt chocolate either in the microwave or in a glass bowl over a pot of water (make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl) on low heat.  Set aside to cool to warm.
    In a medium pot, heat over low the milk and cream, do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool to warm.
    In a medium pot add yolks and sugar, whisk together until combined, then add flour and vanilla, place pot over low heat, add warm milk/cream, whisking continuously (don't stop) until thickened, remove to a glass bowl and whisk in melted cooled chocolate until combined.Cover with plastic wrap (make sure wrap touches the cream mixture) and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Enjoy!
  • Melt the chocolate either in a microwave or in a glass bowl over a pot of water (bain-marie) make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom the bowl. on low/medium heat.  Set aside to cool to warm.
  • In a medium pot or saucepan, heat the milk and cream until very hot or one bubbles start to form around the edges, but do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool to warm.
  • In a medium pot add the yolks and sugar, whisk together until combined, then whisk in the flour and vanilla, place the pot over low/medium heat.
  • Pour the warm cream mixture into the egg mixture, and whisk continuously until thickened, (don't stop). Whisk the melted chocolate into the thickened pastry cream until combined.
  • Transfer the pastry cream to a heat resistance glass bowl, cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap (make sure wrap touches the cream mixture) and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before using.
  • Depending how long you leave the cream in the fridge you may want to whip it for about 30 seconds to get it nice and creamy again. Enjoy!

Notes

You can keep this crema pasticcera in the refrigerator covered for 4-5 days. If a skin forms on the top while in storage, just scrape it off gently with a butter knife. Do not mix it in with the pastry cream, as it will cause unpleasant lumps.

Do not freeze your leftovers. Upon thawing it tends to separate and curdle. 

Nutrition

Calories: 1156kcal | Carbohydrates: 104g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 75g | Saturated Fat: 43g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 640mg | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 632mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 85g | Vitamin A: 2615IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 317mg | Iron: 6mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!

Updated from November 11, 2016.

49 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I have made it twice now and brought to a dinner party. It easily makes six cream puffs. It is thick enough that I put the cream in a decorators bag and was able to squeeze it out and make them look professional with an icing tip. This is going into the keep pile of my recipes!

  2. I am confused about the chocolate, you just say chocolate 52% is that a bar of eating chocolate or is it baking chocolate which is unsweetened? Thanks!

    1. Hi Barb, I use a bar of eating dark chocolate a good quality brand. The chocolate I use has 52% cocoa content. I hope that helps. 🙂

  3. Thank you, looks delicious! I am layering oblatne sheets with this, Please tell me the volume of cream after it’s finished? For servings, the original recipe lists it at one serving @ 1/2 cup? (3/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup cream, etc..) Is it close to 16ounces or more?

    1. Hi Trish I have never used half and half, you could try it, I think it would work, it might just take a little longer to thicken. Let me know if you do try it.

  4. 5 stars
    This looks yummy! I’m making a cake for my daughter who doesn’t eat cream … can I substitute the cream with Greek Yoghurt for her? The others in the family will love this, just as it is!

  5. 5 stars
    Super yum, I used white chocolate instead of dark because I’m using this for white chocolate eclairs with salted caramel on top. I did the first 2 steps of the recipe using the microwave, unnecessary to do them on the stove top which makes this recipe quick and easy.

  6. Hi, would it be possible to add nutella into this custard and if so, at what stage would i add it in. Also, would i be able to leave the cake out for a few hours (its for a bridal shower)? If i do leave it out would it get soggy?

    Thanks
    Lou

    1. Hi Louise, so I checked around and I discovered most Italians make a Nutella Pastry Cream using a this regular pastry cream https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/italian-pastry-cream/ once it’s thickened place it in a clean bowl, I would probably let it sit for about 10 minutes and then fold in the Nutella 1/4 – 1/2 a cup. Cover with plastic and refrigerate as per the recipe. I have never made Nutella pastry cream so I hope it thickens enough, it should. Let me know how it turns out.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.