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Full of Chocolate flavor this thick and creamy recipe for chocolate pastry cream is the perfect filling for pastries and cakes! Both melted chocolate and cocoa powder ensure the best chocolate flavor!
Custard has got to be one of the best things in the world, that and fresh bread. Okay, you can't forget about chocolate and red wine. I have a lot of favorite things, what can I say.
But my all-time favorite is when those two things get combined, here chocolate + custard to make a delicious chocolate pastry cream. It's just like my love affair with chocolate creme brulee.
This chocolate creme patisserie is perfect served with profiteroles, napoleons, inside a pie crust, as a cake filling. The options are endless!
I've fallen in love with pastry cream make sure to check out my coffee pastry cream and dulce de leche pastry cream! If you want something to use this pastry cream for then check out my recipe for choux pastry!
Let's get to the recipe.
Jump to:
- 🍫What are the ingredients
- 📖How do you make pastry cream
- 💭Can you freeze pastry cream
- 🍫More chocolate recipes
🍫What are the ingredients
- Large Egg Yolks. The yolks provide structure and the richness to the cream. Save the egg whites for meringue cookies!
- Sugar. Just granulated sugar or caster sugar is needed. Not too much just enough to slightly sweeten the cream.
- Cornstarch. Also known as cornflour, this helps thicken and stabilize the cream.
- Milk. Use Whole Milk, this is custard after all. I have also used half and half for an even richer flavor.
- Salt. Just a pinch, don't skip it!
- Butter. Make sure it’s cold this helps cool the pastry cream down as soon as it’s done cooking. Adding butter to the custard makes the custard more silky smooth.
- Vanilla. While in my vanilla pastry cream recipe I prefer to use vanilla bean paste to see the flecks you won't really see them in this recipe because of the chocolate so I just use vanilla extract.
- Chocolate. I prefer to use semi-sweet or dark chocolate since we are combining it with sweet cream. Don't use chips or cheap chocolate. You want good quality. I prefer to use Callebaut chocolate callets.
- Cocoa Powder. Adding a little cocoa powder really enhances the base of the chocolate flavor for a rich chocolate punch. I like to use Dutch-process Bensdorp cocoa powder.
- Espresso Powder, optional, doesn't make it taste like coffee just enhances the chocolate notes
You could use this delicious chocolate pastry cream to fill chocolate cream puffs!
📖How do you make pastry cream
Over low-medium heat cook half and half and espresso powder in a medium saucepan. Let the mixture cook for a couple of minutes to warm it up - do not boil the liquid.
While you are warming the half and half mixture prepare the egg mixture. In a medium-large heatproof bowl whisk together the egg yolks, corn starch, salt, cocoa powder, and sugar.
If you want a thinner pastry cream reduce the cornstarch to 3.5 Tablespoons
Whisk this together for at least two minutes, the mixture should be much lighter in color.
Once the half and half mixture is warmed slowly add a little bit to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Then add all of the milk slowly and whisk to combine.
Add mixture back to the pot and cook over low-medium heat for another couple of minutes, whisking constantly. The mixture will thicken up. You want it quite thick, the mixture will "burp" bubbles will pop on the surface- this shows it is done.
Take off the heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate, whisk until all of the chocolate has melted and combined with the pastry cream.
Add the cold cubed butter and vanilla extract whisking vigorously to combine.
Then pour into an air-tight container, place plastic wrap on top and push directly on top this helps prevent a thick skin from forming.
Let the creme patisserie chill in the fridge for at least three hours or up to three days.
Make sure to rewhisk the pastry cream before serving.
This
💭Can you freeze pastry cream
Pastry cream is unfortunately not a good candidate for freezing. The
🍫More chocolate recipes
For a rich chocolate cupcake try my Guinness Cupcake recipe.
Chocolate chip cheesecake is the perfect dinner party dessert.
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★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
Chocolate Pastry Cream
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
5 from 7 reviews
Full of Chocolate flavor this thick and creamy recipe for chocolate pastry cream is the perfect filling for pastries and cakes! Both melted chocolate and cocoa powder ensure the best chocolate flavor!
- Total Time: 3 Hours 20 Minutes
- Yield: Roughly 4 Cups 1x
Ingredients
Units Scale
- 24oz (3 Cups) Half and Half
- ½ Teaspoon Espresso Powder, optional
- 150 grams (¾ Cup) Granulated Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- 7 Large Egg Yolks
- 2 Tablespoons Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
- 4.5 Tablespoons Cornstarch/ Cornflour
- 4oz (¾ Cup) Dark or Semi-Sweet Chocolate, finely chopped
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed
- 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat add the half and half and espresso powder. Let cook for a couple of minutes to warm it up - do not boil the cream.
- While half and half is warming, in a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks, corn starch, salt, cocoa powder, and sugar. Whisk for two minutes, the mixture should be much lighter in color.
- Once the liquid mixture is warmed slowly add a little bit to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Then add all of the cream very slowly and whisk to combine. If you do this too quickly you will scramble the eggs, ruining the custard.
- Add mixture back to the pot and cook over low-medium heat for another couple of minutes, whisking constantly. The mixture will thicken up. You want it quite thick, the mixture will "burp" bubbles will pop on the surface- this shows it is done. Don't turn up the heat and rush this process.
- Take off the heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate, whisk until all of the chocolate has melted and combined with the pastry cream. Add the cold butter whisking vigorously to combine the mix in vanilla. Then pour into an air-tight container, place plastic wrap on top and push directly on top this helps prevent a thick skin from forming. Let chill in the fridge for at least three hours or up to three days. Rewhisk the pastry cream before serving.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- You can half the recipe (use 4 yolks)
- If you want a thinner pastry cream reduce the cornstarch to 3.5 tablespoons
- Author: Elizabeth Waterson I Confessions of a Baking Queen
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: French
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