pastry cream

This term refers specifically to a cooked custard, known in French as crème pâtissière. It is distinguished from other creams by its stability and thickness, which allows it to hold its shape when piped into desserts like éclairs or fruit tarts without collapsing.

Because it is a substance measured by volume or mass rather than individual units, it is treated as an uncountable noun. To specify a quantity, speakers use partitive constructions such as a dollop of pastry cream or a cup of pastry cream.