Vanilla Cream Pie

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Made with a flaky homemade pie crust, rich vanilla pastry cream, and fluffy whipped Chantilly cream, this vanilla cream pie is simple yet absolutely irresistible!

Cook Time1 15

Waiting Time6

Total Time7 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 538kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Ingredients

Pie crust

190 g All purpose flour
¼ teaspoon Salt
½ tablespoon Granulated sugar
113 g Unsalted butter 82% fat, use it very cold
60 g Water very cold
15 g Apple Cider vinegar

Pastry cream filling

720 g Whole milk 3% fat
150 g Granulated sugar
120 g Egg yolks approx. yolk of 6-7 eggs
30 g Corn starch
30 g All purpose flour
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
80g g Unsalted butter 82% fat, use it at room temperature to add to the pastry cream as the last step

Whipped chantilly cream decoration

80 g Heavy cream 36% fat, use it very cold
60 g Mascarpone high fat, use it very cold
30 g Powdered sugar sifted

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pie crust

This dough makes one 9-inch (23 cm) single-crust pie, exactly what you need to make this recipe.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt, then place the bowl in the freezer for 5–10 minutes. Cut the butter into small chunks and chill them, along with the measured water and vinegar.
Add the cold butter to the flour and rub it between your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse sand, leaving a few larger butter pieces for a flaky texture.
Gradually add the cold water and vinegar, stirring after each addition. Use just enough liquid to form a dough that’s evenly hydrated but not sticky or dry.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together without kneading. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before rolling.
For extra flakiness, consider applying this very easy lamination technique: Remove the pie dough from the fridge and let it rest on the counter for a few minutes until slightly softened but still cold. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle shape. Fold the left half over the right, then fold the bottom half over the top. Fold once more in half to give you eight layers.
Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.
For a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish, roll the dough into a 10-inch (26 cm) circle. Handle the dough gently; avoid stretching or forcing it, as that can cause the crust to shrink during baking. The dough should remain smooth, cold, and pliable.
Once rolled out, continue with the next step as described in my tutorial on how to blind bake pie crust. Then, let the pie crust come to room temperature before filling.

Pastry cream filling

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar using a hand whisk for 1–2 minutes until slightly fluffy. Whisk in the cornstarch and flour until smooth, then add the vanilla.
Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it’s simmering but not boiling.
Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg mixture while whisking continuously to temper the yolks. The mixture will start to thicken slightly.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens, about 1 minute after it begins to boil. If any lumps form, continue whisking until the cream becomes smooth and glossy again.
For an extra smooth texture, consider straining this vanilla pudding.
Lastly, add the softened butter, mixing with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated and creamy.
Pour the pastry cream pudding into your room-temperature pie crust, and smooth the top. Refrigerate until set, about 3-4 hours.

Whipped chantilly cream decoration

Before serving, top it with freshly whipped Chantilly cream. Place very cold heavy cream, mascarpone, and sifted powdered sugar in a bowl and whip for a few minutes until it forms stiff peaks, a pipable consistency. Pipe or spoon the decoration onto the pie just before serving.
Refrigerate for up to 2-3 days. For the best texture, let it sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes before serving. Avoid freezing, as the creamy filling may separate and lose its smooth consistency once thawed.
However, you can freeze the baked pie crust: Let the crust cool completely after baking, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to use, thaw the crust in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for about an hour before filling. To refresh its crispness, bake it at 350°F (175°C) for 5–8 minutes before adding the filling.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES:

Measure your ingredients with a digital scale for accuracy.
Do not skip the salt; it will balance the flavors.
For the pie crust, all ingredients, including butter, flour, and water, should be very cold.
For the pastry cream, use full-fat milk and cream, high-fat butter, and high-quality vanilla extract.
Fresh, farm eggs will provide bright yellow colored pastry cream, while cheaper supermarket eggs will result in a pale cream.

TECHNIQUE NOTES:

Assembling this pie dough will take less than 5 minutes. If you are making the dough for more than 5 minutes, you are overworking it and risking warming the ingredients up too much with your hands.
Resting the dough in the fridge is a must—you won't be able to roll it out without an appropriate resting time (minimum 2 hours).
When it comes to rolling, again, it can be done when the dough is at the right temperature. If it's too cold, it can crumble. If it's too warm, it can tear and stick.
Use a small/medium-sized saucepan with good heat distribution to avoid burning the milk when making the pastry cream.
Make sure you wait for the pastry cream pudding to set for a neat slice.

Nutrition