Pastry cream is, without a doubt, the queen of creams in pastry. It is the most used filling for cakes, cream puffs and many other desserts, and it is also the perfect base for more elaborate preparations, such as diplomat cream.
With this recipe you will obtain a smooth, thick and velvety cream, rich in flavor and above all lump-free, thanks to a little trick that I will reveal shortly.

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Very inexpensive
Preparation time: 6 Minutes
Portions: 1
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

Ingredients

3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 tbsp cornstarch (maizena)
2 cups + 2 tbsp milk
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 packet vanillin

Preparation

To prepare the pastry cream, start by placing the egg yolks and the sugar in a small saucepan. Use a whisk to beat them until you obtain a smooth cream of pale yellow color.
Add the cornstarch and the flour, previously sifted, and continue to mix with the whisk to fully incorporate everything. The mixture will become lighter in color and slightly thicker.
Finally add the vanillin, stirring again to distribute it evenly.
Continue whisking and, meanwhile, pour the milk in a thin stream, little by little. Incorporate it gradually until you obtain a smooth, fluid mixture with a delicate pale yellow color.
This step is fundamental: adding the milk slowly while whisking continuously will allow you to avoid the formation of unpleasant lumps.
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a boil, stirring slowly but continuously. The cream will begin to thicken; when the first bubbles appear on the surface, it will be ready. Turn off the heat and let it cool.
Note: if at the moment of boiling the cream still seems slightly liquid, turn off the heat anyway: it will continue to thicken as it cools.
During cooling, stir occasionally with the whisk to prevent the formation of the classic gelatinous film on the surface.
Alternatively, you can cover the cream with plastic wrap directly touching the surface and let it cool this way. Bear in mind, however, that cooling times will be slightly longer with this method.