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

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.

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.

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.

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!