Buddy Valastro’s Italian Custard Cream

Aired on: July 23, 2012

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup cake flour, sifted
5 extra-large egg yolks
2 teaspoons salted butter

Yields: about 3 cups, enough to fill and ice one 9-inch cake

Preparation

Put the milk and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

In a bowl, whip together the sugar, flour, egg yolks with a hand mixer. Ladle a cup of the milk-vanilla mixture into the bowl and beat to temper the yolks.

Add the yolk mixture to the pot and beat over medium heat with the hand mixer until thick and creamy, about 1 minute. As you are beating, move the pot on and off the flame so that you don’t scramble the eggs.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the butter, and whip for 2 minutes to thicken the cream. Transfer to a bowl. Let it cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 6 hours.

Will keep for up to 1 week.

To make chocolate custard cream, add 1 1/2 ounces melted, cooled, unsweetened chocolate along with the butter. For a richer chocolate flavor, add a little more.