Chocolate Pastry Cream

This Chocolate Pastry Cream is a decadent twist on classic pastry cream! The rich chocolate flavor and creamy texture add a touch of elegance and decadence to even the simplest desserts! Perfect for filling tarts, cream puffs, cakes, and more!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Pastry Cream

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 3

Total Time 3 20

Servings Tablespoons (4 cups)

Calories 39kcal

Author Amee

Equipment

Fine Mesh Strainer

Ingredients

2 cups half and half (or 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream)
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (see note)
pinch salt
6 egg yolks
¼ cup cornstarch
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, diced and softened
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
4 ounces chocolate, chopped finely (see note)
2 teaspoons chocolate extract (see note)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and egg yolks. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine milk, cream, sugar, vanilla bean paste (see note), and salt. Cook mixture oven over medium heat until it reaches a boil. Remove from the heat.
Using a heatproof measuring cup, pour about one cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. This step tempers the eggs. Once the mixture is combined, pour the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan with the cream mixture.
Cook pastry cream over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it just starts to boil. Mixture will thicken as it cooks.
Remove the pan from the heat, and press the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl. This step ensures the pastry cream is silky smooth with no small pieces of cooked egg hiding!
Mix in diced butter, cocoa powder (sifted so there are no lumps), chopped dark chocolate (see note), and chocolate extract (see note). Stir until chocolate has melted.
Cover with plastic, pressing the wrap to the surface of the pastry cream to ensure it doesn't form a skin. Refrigerate until completely cooled, at least 3 hours.
The pastry cream can be stored in the refrigerator, with plastic wrap pressed to the entire surface, for up to four days.
If you'd like to freeze the pastry cream for longer storage, you'll need to switch out the cornstarch for flour as a thickener. While I prefer the cornstarch, it will not freeze well. The flour will thicken the pastry cream, and will freeze and thaw without compromising the texture. The pastry cream will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month.
Enjoy!

Notes

Note on chocolate: I used dark chocolate (60% cacao) in the pastry cream. You can use whatever kind of chocolate you prefer. That said, chocolate chips have a stabilizer in them, so they won't melt as readily as a chocolate bar. For that reason, I don't suggest using chocolate chips for this recipe.

Note on chocolate extract: I highly recommend this (sometimes overlooked) extract! It lends an amazing depth of flavor to chocolate baked goods! You can even make yourself some Homemade Chocolate Extract for next time! If you prefer not to use it, you can leave it out or substitute with vanilla extract.

Nutrition