Orange Custard
Custard is one of my favorite vintage treats, and this orange custard recipe is extra delicious. It is smooth and velvety like pudding but bursting with fresh, tangy, sweet orange flavor! It is perfect for cakes, pies, or to fill donuts. It is so easy; it takes just 30 minutes and six ingredients.
My recipe only takes a few minutes of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking time. The hardest part is waiting for it to chill! But it is worth every minute. The blend of fresh orange juice and zest gives this custard tart a sweet citrus flavor. It tastes fantastic with a slice of my zesty homemade orange cake.
I enjoy giving this custard as a hostess gift. I usually divide it into cute mason jars and give them away for Christmas. The orange flavor goes perfectly with the holiday! Add a nice orange bow,, and you have the perfect edible gift!
Table of contents
Why you will love this recipe
- It is better than ice cream: Smooth, tangy, and thicker than pudding, this is the perfect treat to eat any time, and it won’t melt like ice cream. This is one of my favorite treats.
- Easy to make: It requires just a few common ingredients and four steps so anyone can make it in minutes.
- Fresher than a bakery or restaurant: Why go out and get it when I can make it home for much cheaper and better tasting? And I know mine is made from fresh ingredients.
- I can make it anytime: Custard shops are usually only open in the summer. I can whip this delicious treat up whenever I want it.
What you will need
- Orange juice and zest – I use fresh orange juice and zest for a refreshing citrus flavor and a burst of extra zing.
- Whole milk and butter – Whole milk has a higher fat content, contributing to a creamier texture and better taste. At the same time, butter adds to the emulsification, smoothness, and creaminess of the mouthfeel.
- Egg yolks – The yolks are richer for a luxurious, smooth, velvety feel, and they are natural emulsifiers that bind and blend liquids.
- White granulated sugar – Adding sweetness stabilizes the egg proteins, helping the custard set appropriately at a higher temperature.
- Vanilla extract—Use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation flavoring to achieve a richer and more complex flavor. This lets the delicate taste of the custard shine through and enhances the orange flavor. If you have vanilla beans, I highly recommend using those.
- Cornstarch – Is an excellent thickener that allows a creamy, smooth texture. It absorbs liquid and turns velvety when mixed with milk, sugar, and eggs.
How to make
Heat the milk: First, I heat the milk in a medium saucepan until it is hot but not boiling.
Egg mixture: While the milk is heating, I whisk the sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl before using an electric mixer to whisk the egg yolks into the sugar mixture until they are pale yellow. Then, I mix in the vanilla extract, orange juice, and orange zest until combined.
Mix it up: Next, I remove the pot from the stove and, with the mixer on low, slowly add the heated milk to the egg mixture a little at a time. It is important to only add a little of the heated milk at a time so the eggs do not get cooked and the milk does not curdle.
Cook the custard: Now, I pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat it on medium, whisking continuously, for about five minutes until it is the consistency of thick pudding. This should take about five minutes.
Add butter: Once thick, I remove it from the heat and whisk in the butter before pouring it into a large bowl.
Cover and chill: Then, I cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic onto the top of the custard to prevent skin from forming. The custard must chill for at least four hours in the fridge before serving.
Expert tip
Preventing curdled milk
One of the most common mistakes when making custard is pouring the hot milk into the egg mixture too quickly or vice versa. To prevent curdled milk or scrambled eggs, I use a ladle. Pour one ladle at a time slowly into the pot, whisking the whole time. This may take longer, but it is faster than having to start all over again or strain the curdled bits out of the mess.
Other cooks, I have talked to have used the strainer method every time, not just in case of curdling but also to strain any orange zest in the mixture. I do not mind any zest in my custard because I love the extra tanginess. However, some say that they are worried about pith getting into the custard and making it bitter.
More tips to consider
- Do not get any white pith into it when making zest, or the custard may be bitter.
- Separate the whites of the eggs from the yolks properly to keep from making the custard stiff.
- Ensure the pot is removed from the heat when adding the milk mixture.
- Don’t add the milk to the egg mixture too fast, or it will turn into orange-flavored scrambled eggs.
- Be sure to add the plastic directly to the top of the custard. This helps prevent skin from forming.
Recipe variations and add-ins:
- Chocolate custard: For chocolate lovers like me, drizzling some chocolate syrup on top is a perfect way to serve this dessert.
- More citrus: To give this custard an even more fruity flavor, I added lemon and lime juice with their zests separately. They both turned out wonderful, although the kids liked the orange-lime one best.
- Other flavors: For even more flavors, I have also used extracts such as chocolate, amaretto, mint, and strawberry. The strawberry was my favorite.
- Textured custard: To add texture to this custard, I chopped some mandarin oranges in my food processor and added them at the end before chilling. Then, I placed some whole orange slices on top, and it was a masterpiece that everyone loved.
- Crunchy custard: Another way to make this custard textured is to top it with toasted oats or streusel.
Serving suggestions:
Besides just serving it in a bowl with a spoon, I also like to serve this creamy orange custard with a glass of my refreshing orange Julius as an invigorating afterschool snack for the kids. This keeps them going until dinner is ready and also contains a lot of vitamin C and other nutrients. And I like to join them for the boost of energy I get, too.
My orange-glazed pork chops are a nice dinner I can make to go with this orange theme. Everyone in my household loves the sweet and sticky orange sauce, and the crispy crust keeps the inside nice and moist. They only take 10 minutes to prep and about 30 minutes to cook!
How to store leftovers:
- Refrigerate: If there are any leftovers, I can keep them refrigerated for up to four days in an airtight container.
- Freezing: A custard does not freeze very well unless you change its ingredients to make it into the frozen custard.
Frequently asked questions
This happens when the hot milk is added to the egg mixture too fast or if the egg and milk mixture is heated to too high a temperature after being mixed together. If this happens, the milk will become curdled, or the eggs will become scrambled. To fix this problem, remove the pot from the heat, place the whole pot into a bowl of ice water, and let it cool. Then, strain the custard to remove the lumps before whipping it back to creaminess.
If your custard is too thin, it may have separated from being heated too fast. To fix this, turn the heat down to low and let it cook until the extra moisture is cooked away. If that doesn’t work, add a little bit more cornstarch slurry. Stir an equal amount of cornstarch with milk until it is dissolved before adding it to the custard. Then, whisk while cooking it low until it is thickened.
This happens if the custard is scorched from being unattended or cooked at too high a temperature. First, cook the custard low and slow to keep it from burning. Also, always stay with the pot, whisking it to prevent the bottom from scorching. If it sticks to the bottom of the pan, switch to a new pan to save it from being bitter. Also, do not get any white pith in the zest when zesting the orange. It will make the custard bitter as well.
Air bubbles during cooking can cause lumps. Stirring or whisking constantly will prevent this. However, once it starts to thicken, let it rest, and do not vigorously whisk. If there are any air bubbles, tap the bottom of the pan to release the air or use a spoon to pop them. If there are still too many after cooking, strain it through a fine mesh sieve.
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Orange Custard
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 8 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
Instructions
- Heat milk in medium saucepan until hot, and it just starts to simmer, but don't let it boil.
- While milk is heating, add sugar and cornstarch to mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Using an electric mixer whisk egg yolks into the sugar mixture until pale yellow.
- Whisk in orange zest, orange juice and vanilla.
- Remove the milk from heat, and with the mixer on low speed, little by little, whisk the milk into egg mixture.
- Pour mixture back into sauce pan and place over medium heat, whisk continuously for 5 minutes, until custard has thickened to the consistency of thick pudding.
- Remove from heat and whisk in butter.
- Pour the orange custard into a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing plastic wrap on top of the custard to prevent skin from form
- Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.