My creamy Earl Grey Custard is a simple, flexible pastry cream infused with black tea. It’s ideal for filling cupcakes, pies and tarts, but also delicious spooned over fresh berries or enjoyed on its own as a tea-scented pudding.
If you enjoy tea-flavored baking, try related recipes such as Earl Grey scones or black tea whipped cream for pairing with this pastry cream.
🫖Why make it
- This custard makes a delightful Earl Grey pudding—try it with berries or a blueberry compote for contrast;
- It’s an excellent filling for vanilla, lemon or Earl Grey cakes and cupcakes;
- It also works as a quick sweet breakfast option—use it alongside crepes or pancakes.
📃Ingredients
Cream. Use heavy/double/whipping cream (30–36% fat) for best texture.
Milk. Whole milk gives the richest result, though lower-fat milks can be used.
Egg yolks. Only the yolks are used—bring them to room temperature first.
Extract. Vanilla or Earl Grey extract both work. Lavender extract can add a refined floral note—if using lavender, add just ½ tsp.
Earl Grey tea. Loose leaf or tea bags both infuse well; loose tea gives a slightly more fragrant cream.
🥄How to make it
Step 01. Combine milk, heavy cream and Earl Grey tea in a clean jar or container with a lid. Refrigerate and cold-brew for 8–24 hours.
Step 02. Remove tea bags, or strain the infused cream through a fine mesh sieve to remove loose leaves.
Step 03. Gently heat the brewed milk and cream in a saucepan over low heat until warm—do not boil. Remove from heat and let sit 4–5 minutes.
Step 04. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of milk until smooth. This prevents lumps when added to the egg mixture.
Step 05. Whisk the room-temperature egg yolks with sugar and your chosen extract until combined. Stir in the diluted cornstarch.
Step 06. Return the infused cream to low heat and slowly whisk in the egg mixture. Continue whisking over gentle heat until the custard thickens and becomes silky.
Step 07. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin, let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. It keeps up to 5 days.
✔️Expert Tips
- To prevent a skin, press plastic film directly onto the custard surface while it cools.
- Cornstarch yields a lighter pastry cream—don’t substitute with all-purpose flour.
- Keep whisking while cooking the custard to ensure a smooth, lump-free texture.
- Do not freeze this custard: thawing damages its creamy consistency.
🥞How to serve
This Earl Grey custard is perfect as a filling for cakes, cupcakes, pies and tarts, or served alongside waffles and pancakes.
It pairs especially well with fluffy Belgian waffles and other breakfast pastries. You can also spoon it over fruit or use it as a component in layered desserts.
Some complementary breakfast ideas include sourdough crepes, extra-fluffy sourdough pancakes, and Earl Grey waffles.
If you try this Earl Grey Custard, please leave a star rating and share your notes in the comments—I’d love to hear how it turned out!
📖 Recipe
Earl Grey Custard (Tea Pastry Cream)
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Small Pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup milk (whole or 2%)
- ¾ cup heavy cream (at least 30% fat)
- 1 tbsp Earl Grey tea (or 3 tea bags)
- 4 egg yolks, room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla or Earl Grey extract
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp milk (for diluting cornstarch)
Instructions
- Combine milk, heavy cream and Earl Grey tea in a jar. Seal and cold-brew in the fridge for 8–24 hours.
- Remove tea bags or strain out loose leaves.
- Warm the infused milk and cream in a saucepan over low heat until hot but not boiling. Let rest 4–5 minutes.
- Mix cornstarch with 3 tbsp milk until smooth.
- Whisk egg yolks, sugar and extract until combined. Add the cornstarch mixture and whisk.
- Return the infused cream to low heat and slowly whisk in the egg mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and silky.
- Press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Keeps up to 5 days.
Notes
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the custard surface while it cools to avoid skin formation.
- Cornstarch produces a lighter cream; do not substitute with all-purpose flour.
- Keep whisking while cooking to prevent lumps.
- Do not freeze—freezing and thawing ruins the texture.