Can You Freeze Pastry Cream? Here's How You Do This the Right Way (2024)

FAQs

Can I freeze my pastry cream? ›

Always cover your pastry cream with plastic wrap, letting the plastic wrap touch the top of the pastry cream to avoid the creation of any film on top. Store in a fridge for up to three days. You can also freeze the pastry cream for up to three weeks, but only if you are using flour in this recipe.

Pastry cream can be stored in an airtight container, with plastic wrap or buttered parchment paper placed directly on the surface, and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

If eating pastry the day after purchased, store in the fridge overnight. If keeping for longer, tightly wrap individual pastries in aluminum foil and store in freezer until ready to eat. (We recommend that frozen pastries be consumed within one month, and refrigerated pastries be consumed within three days).

Pastry cream can be used to fill fruit tarts and cream puffs, made into a trifle with sponge cake and fruit or just plain greedily eaten with a spoon.

Put simply, pastry cream is a type of custard. Adding cornstarch to the vanilla custard will give you a thick, firm substance (almost like vanilla pudding) that will hold its shape when piped. Custard that you can pour, which is only thickened with eggs, is actually called crème anglaise.

Whereas some recipes use flour instead, I prefer using cornstarch as it gives a better final taste and texture. Unsalted butter. The addition of butter makes the pastry cream even richer and creamier. It also helps it to set to the perfect texture during cooling.

Runny pastry cream most often comes from undercooking the egg yolk mixture. If you remove it from the heat too soon, the amylase in the egg yolks won't break down and will prevent the cream from fully setting. If you find your crème pâtissière is too thin, return to heat and bring to a boil over medium heat to thicken.

Pastry cream and lemon curd are custards, and should not sit out all day. Bring out a few hours before serving. Whipped cream cakes should stay refrigerated and come out no more than an hour before serving.

“Heavy cream”, “whipping cream”, or even “double cream” will work here. This lends a rich creaminess to the finished product. If you're in a pinch, you can substitute both the milk and cream for half and half. Egg yolks.

What's the difference between pastry cream and crème brulee? ›

Custard is set in one of three different ways: with eggs, starch, or gelatin. Crème brûlée, pots de crème, and flan are thickened with egg; in contrast, pastry cream and American-style cheesecake often employ cornstarch or flour. Gelatin is used to add a gel-like consistency to Bavarian cream and most mousse recipes.

Storing. After the pastry cream is made it should be covered directly which means placing plastic wrap on the top of the pastry cream. Cool to room temperature and then chill it or freeze it. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator to use.

Yes, you can freeze heavy whipping cream straight from the carton. Whether you intend to cook with it or whip it, it will still be good to go with a bit of stirring after it's thawed. As for heavy cream that's already been whipped, you can freeze that, too.

You can keep these cream puffs frozen for about 2 months. Keep in mind the pastry shells may have softened when you thaw them but they will still be delicious!

Keep filled and prepared pastry in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap, until you're ready to bake and serve.

Store frozen fillings for three to four months, which conveniently coincides with the holiday baking season. Plan to freeze the filling in the pan you'll use for baking. A metal pie pan is best because it quickly conducts the cold (creating smaller ice crystals) and heat later for crispy crusts.

Little Tips. Pastry cream will keep for several days once refrigerated. You can reheat it in the microwave, whisk hard and it becomes spreadable again.