Lemon Pastry Cream
Smooth, citrusy, and just the right balance of tangy and sweet.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our privacy policy.
Lemon pastry cream is a lemon-flavored filling that’s a thicker and milder alternative to lemon curd. It’s ideal if you’re in the market for a lemony filling (or topping) but find lemon curd too tangy and lemon buttercream too rich.
(Or if you need a large amount of filling and have only one or two lemons at your disposal.)
Recipe Info
This recipe:
- Has bright and zesty flavor. A smooth, citrusy filling that’s milder than lemon curd but still packs plenty of lemony goodness.
- Is infused for extra flavor. The milk is steeped with lemon zest before cooking the cream, enhancing the lemon taste. It’s an extra 20 minutes, but you can skip that step if you’re in a hurry.
- Is great for make-ahead. This pastry cream keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days, making it an excellent filling you can make in advance.
Making lemon pastry cream for the first time? Read the ingredients notes, step-by-step instructions, and tips. If you’re familiar with the recipe, feel free to jump to the recipe card.
Extra Learning
Before we jump in, here’s a few handy resources to help you nail this recipe:
- How to Temper Eggs. My quick guide to tempering eggs—a handy technique you’ll use when making this pastry cream. If you’ve never heard of it or never tried it before, be sure to give this a read.
- How to Make Pastry Cream. Your go-to guide for everything pastry cream. Learn the methods, uses, tips, and more. New to pastry creams? Start here.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutes
- Milk. Whole fat works best as the fat adds that extra bit of richness.
- Lemons. Our main source of flavor. Choose blemish-free ones as we’re going to both juice and zest them.
- Sugar. Regular white sugar works well, but feel free to use any sweetener you like.
- Cornstarch. Cornstarch is best, but you can also use potato starch; just halve the amount. Check out my article on cornstarch versus potato starch for more details.
- Egg Yolks. Yolks make the pastry cream thicker and richer.
- Vanilla Extract. Vanilla extract adds an extra bit of flavor to the cream, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if you skipped it.
- Butter. Unsalted full-fat butter is what you’re looking for.
How to Make Lemon Pastry Cream
- Wash lemons. First, rinse your lemons under running water. Then, if you’re using commercial lemons and want to remove (some) pesticides, soak the lemons for 15 minutes in 2 cups of water mixed with a tablespoon of baking soda.
- Zest and juice the lemons. Gently peel off the lemon zest using a microplane, a zester, or the fine holes on your box grater, avoiding discolored or blemished areas. If using a zester, chop the zest, so there are no long strips of zest. Once done, juice the lemons.
Use microplane to scrape off lemon zest- Squeeze out the juice from the lemon and set aside
- Infuse milk. Combine the lemon zest and milk in a pot and set it over medium-high heat. Heat it until bubbles form around the edges of the pot, indicating that it’s nice and warm. Then, turn off the heat and let it steep for 20 to 30 minutes before continuing.
- Mix lemon zest and remaining milk
- Heat until bubbles form around the edges
- and steep for 20-30 minutes
- Prepare egg mixture. While the milk heats, whisk the yolks, cornstarch, and about 2 tablespoons of the milk mixture (while it’s still lukewarm) in a large heatproof bowl. The addition of the milk mixture loosens the yolks and cornstarch, so exact measurements aren’t critical here. Set the bowl aside.
- Boil milk. After 20 to 30 minutes of steeping, add vanilla extract and sugar to the infused milk, bring it back to a boil, and take it off the heat.
- Temper the yolk mixture. Gradually pour a couple of tablespoons of the hot milk into the yolk mixture, constantly whisking to prevent the yolks from curdling. Repeat this process three to four times until you’ve incorporated most of the milk. Keep stirring throughout.
- Gradually pour warm milk into the egg mixture
- Stir until milk is fully incorporated
- Cook until thick and bubbly. Return the egg mixture to the pot you used for the milk. Cook it over low or medium heat, stirring constantly, until it noticeably thickens and starts to bubble when you stop stirring for a moment. This typically takes 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the pot and heat intensity. Avoid rushing the process to prevent the yolks from curdling.
- Return the egg mixture to the pot
- Cook until the mixture thickens
- Take off the heat and whisk. Once the mixture is thick, remove the pot from the heat and continue whisking for about a minute, bringing the mixture past the point of maximum thickness.
- Stir in butter: Add the butter to the pot and stir until it melts and integrates into the cream.
- Add the chopped butter
- Stir until butter is incorporated
- Add lemon juice. Stir in the lemon juice. We do so only now because if we added it earlier, the milk would curdle.
- Taste test. Sample the cream (be cautious; it’s hot) and add more sugar or lemon juice if necessary.
- (Optional) Strain: If you want to get rid of the lemon zest or there are lumps or cooked egg bits in your pastry cream, pour it through a strainer into a bowl to achieve a silky smooth texture.
- Strain pastry cream to remove
- zest, lumps, or cooked egg bits
- Cover and chill. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a crust from forming. Leave it at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to cool slightly. Then refrigerate (covered) until you’re ready to use it.
- Whisk and use. The pastry cream will have a stiff, pudding-like texture when removed from the fridge. This is normal. To use it, start by “chopping” it up with a fork, then switch to a whisk and stir for a minute or two until it becomes smooth (ish). Once done, it’s ready for piping.
- Chop up the chilled pastry cream
- Whisk for a minute until the texture is smooth
Tips
Here are a few key points to remember when making this recipe:
- Adjust the flavor. After adding the lemon juice, take a moment to taste the cream. If it’s not sweet or tangy enough for your liking, feel free to stir in some extra sugar or lemon juice. Although this recipe is already quite zesty, you can always tweak it according to your preferences.
- Steep the milk. It’s important not to skip steeping the milk. Allowing it to sit for 20 to 30 minutes enriches the flavor with the essence of the zest. If you’re pressed for time, consider infusing the milk earlier, either in the morning or the day before. Skip only if you’re in a hurry.
- Make it lighter. This cream is delicious but might be a bit rich if used in large quantities, like when filling cream puffs. To lighten it, fold in whipped cream and stabilize it with gelatin. This setup is called diplomat cream, and I got a big guide on making diplomat cream.
- Make it richer and sturdier. While this pastry cream pipes okayish, it’s not nearly as sturdy as buttercream. If you need a richer, more stable version that holds its shape well, and you don’t want to work with gelatin, turn it into cream mousseline. The linked article explains the whole process.
Storage
Store this pastry cream in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Make sure the container is sealed tightly so it doesn’t dry out or absorb smells.
Other Recipes to Try
Looking for more? Check these out:
- Lemon Meringue Eclairs. A classic eclair recipe filled with this exact lemon pastry cream and topped with Italian meringue.
- Lemon madeleines. Lovely French mini cakes you can whip up in less than 30 minutes (including baking time).
- Lemon financiers. Another French classic. This one is much richer than madeleines because there’s quite a lot of brown butter in the batter.
- Lemon curd. Lemony perfection if you’re looking for a tangy filling that’s also a bit sweet. The lemon flavor in lemon curd is noticeably more intense than in this pastry cream.
- Pastry cream flavors. Want to test out other pastry creams? Here’s a list of 12+ flavors I already covered.
Servings: 2.25 cups
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups milk ~420g
- 2 lemons medium
- 4 egg yolks medium or large (about 60-70g)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch ~40g
- 7 tablespoons sugar ~87g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter ~28g
Instructions
- Wash Lemons: Rinse under running water and optionally soak in a baking soda solution to remove pesticides.2 lemons
- Zest and Juice: Use a microplane or zester to remove the zest, then juice the lemons.
- Infuse Milk: Heat the milk with lemon zest until bubbles form at the edges, then turn off the heat and let it steep for 20-30 minutes.1 3/4 cups milk
- Mix Yolks: While the milk heats, whisk yolks, cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons of the milk mixture (while it's still lukewarm) in a bowl.4 egg yolks, 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- Boil Milk: Add the vanilla extract and sugar to the infused milk and bring it back to a boil, then remove from heat.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 7 tablespoons sugar
- Temper Yolks: Slowly add hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling.
- Cook Cream: Return the mixture to the pot and cook on low heat, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.
- Finish Cream: Remove from heat, whisk for an additional minute.
- Add Butter and Lemon Juice: Stir in butter until melted, then add the lemon juice.2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Taste and Adjust: Test the flavor and adjust sweetness or tanginess as needed.
- Strain (Optional): Strain to remove zest or any lumps for a smoother texture.
- Cool and Chill: Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate.
- Prepare for Use: Whisk chilled pastry cream until smooth before using.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!