French pastry chefs whisk egg yolks off heat first—adding hot milk too fast scrambles them, ruining the silky custard base instantly.
Chocolate Pastry Cream
Indulge in our velvety chocolate pastry cream, a luscious treat that's perfect for filling pastries or savoring on its own! This delightful blend of rich dark chocolate, silky egg yolks, and a touch of vanilla creates a decadent dessert that's sure to impress. Whip up this creamy delight and elevate your desserts to a whole new level of deliciousness!
Prep
15
min
Cook
10
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This French crème pâtissière owes its existence to Marie-Antoine Carême, the early 1800s Parisian chef who codified custard technique while raiding Aztec-derived cocoa that Spanish conquistadors had dragged back from Mexico centuries earlier—so every spoonful of this Chocolate Pastry Cream is actually a Habsburg-court mashup between French pâtisserie discipline and Mesoamerican chocolate, dressed up in a Parisian bakery window looking terribly pleased with itself.
Regional Twist
In Lyon, pâtissiers swap some of the dark chocolate for local Bernachon couverture and infuse the milk with orange zest, giving this pastry cream a citrus-edged intensity that plays beautifully against the bitter cocoa powder already doing the heavy lifting.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- Corn Starch (120 ml)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- Butter (28 g)
- Milk (480 ml)
- Whipping cream (240 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- Cocoa powder (120 ml)
- Dark chocolate (113 g)
- Sugar (150 g)
- Vanilla extract (5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- Eggs
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
490
Protein
8g
Carbs
48g
Fat
32g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Combine dry ingredients: Add corn starch, cocoa powder, and sugar to a saucepan and whisk to blend evenly.
- 2
Add wet ingredients: Gradually pour in cream while whisking constantly, then whisk in the milk.
- 3
Add egg yolks: Add the egg yolks one at a time and whisk well to incorporate after each addition.
- 4
Cook gently: Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk gently but constantly for 7-10 minutes until thickened.
- 5
Mix in chocolate and butter: Pour the custard into a bowl, add dark chocolate, whisk until melted and smooth, then whisk in cold cubed butter and vanilla extract.
- 6
Chill: Place plastic wrap over the surface of the pastry cream and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled for 3-4 hours.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Whisk egg yolks into the cold cream mixture (step 3) before heating to prevent curdling; cold yolks won't denature until 160°F, giving you a 10-15°F buffer before scrambling begins.technique160°F denature temperature
- ✓Target 82-85°C (180-185°F) internal temperature while whisking constantly for 7-10 minutes; this denatures egg proteins fully for food safety while allowing cornstarch to hydrate and swell, reaching peak viscosity without breaking down.timing82-85°C for 7-10 minutes
- ✓Add dark chocolate (chopped into pieces smaller than ½ inch) to the hot custard off-heat; residual heat melts chocolate evenly without seizing, which occurs above 50°C in the presence of even 1% water from milk.ingredientOff-heat melting, <½ inch pieces
- ✓Whisk in cold cubed butter (cut into ½-inch cubes, 45°F or colder) after chocolate melts; emulsifying fat creates a silkier mouthfeel and adds 2-3°C viscosity increase as butterfat stabilizes the starch gel structure.technique½-inch cubes, 45°F or colder
- ✓Press plastic wrap directly onto the cream surface during chilling to prevent a skin from forming; a skin develops when casein proteins at the air-liquid interface denature, reducing smoothness by up to 15% in final texture.timingDirect surface contact during 3-4 hour chill
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
10
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
French pastry chefs whisk egg yolks off heat first—adding hot milk too fast scrambles them, ruining the silky custard base instantly.
Chocolate Pastry Cream
Indulge in our velvety chocolate pastry cream, a luscious treat that's perfect for filling pastries or savoring on its own! This delightful blend of rich dark chocolate, silky egg yolks, and a touch of vanilla creates a decadent dessert that's sure to impress. Whip up this creamy delight and elevate your desserts to a whole new level of deliciousness!
The Story
This French crème pâtissière owes its existence to Marie-Antoine Carême, the early 1800s Parisian chef who codified custard technique while raiding Aztec-derived cocoa that Spanish conquistadors had dragged back from Mexico centuries earlier—so every spoonful of this Chocolate Pastry Cream is actually a Habsburg-court mashup between French pâtisserie discipline and Mesoamerican chocolate, dressed up in a Parisian bakery window looking terribly pleased with itself.
Regional Twist
In Lyon, pâtissiers swap some of the dark chocolate for local Bernachon couverture and infuse the milk with orange zest, giving this pastry cream a citrus-edged intensity that plays beautifully against the bitter cocoa powder already doing the heavy lifting.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- Corn Starch (120 ml)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- Butter (28 g)
- Milk (480 ml)
- Whipping cream (240 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- Cocoa powder (120 ml)
- Dark chocolate (113 g)
- Sugar (150 g)
- Vanilla extract (5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- Eggs
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
490
Protein
8g
Carbs
48g
Fat
32g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Combine dry ingredients: Add corn starch, cocoa powder, and sugar to a saucepan and whisk to blend evenly.
- 2
Add wet ingredients: Gradually pour in cream while whisking constantly, then whisk in the milk.
- 3
Add egg yolks: Add the egg yolks one at a time and whisk well to incorporate after each addition.
- 4
Cook gently: Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk gently but constantly for 7-10 minutes until thickened.
- 5
Mix in chocolate and butter: Pour the custard into a bowl, add dark chocolate, whisk until melted and smooth, then whisk in cold cubed butter and vanilla extract.
- 6
Chill: Place plastic wrap over the surface of the pastry cream and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled for 3-4 hours.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Whisk egg yolks into the cold cream mixture (step 3) before heating to prevent curdling; cold yolks won't denature until 160°F, giving you a 10-15°F buffer before scrambling begins.technique160°F denature temperature
- ✓Target 82-85°C (180-185°F) internal temperature while whisking constantly for 7-10 minutes; this denatures egg proteins fully for food safety while allowing cornstarch to hydrate and swell, reaching peak viscosity without breaking down.timing82-85°C for 7-10 minutes
- ✓Add dark chocolate (chopped into pieces smaller than ½ inch) to the hot custard off-heat; residual heat melts chocolate evenly without seizing, which occurs above 50°C in the presence of even 1% water from milk.ingredientOff-heat melting, <½ inch pieces
- ✓Whisk in cold cubed butter (cut into ½-inch cubes, 45°F or colder) after chocolate melts; emulsifying fat creates a silkier mouthfeel and adds 2-3°C viscosity increase as butterfat stabilizes the starch gel structure.technique½-inch cubes, 45°F or colder
- ✓Press plastic wrap directly onto the cream surface during chilling to prevent a skin from forming; a skin develops when casein proteins at the air-liquid interface denature, reducing smoothness by up to 15% in final texture.timingDirect surface contact during 3-4 hour chill