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1. Mix the cornflour/cornstarch with 1/2 cup of milk and stir until dissolved.
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2. Heat the remaining milk in a saucepan with the sugar, dissolving the sugar and bringing the milk to the boil. Remove from heat.
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3. Beat the whole eggs into the cornflour/milk mixture. Then beat in the egg yolks. Pour in 1/3 of the hot milk, stirring constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking.
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4. Now, bring the remaining milk back to the boil, and add the eggy mixture, whisking as your pour. Keep whisking (don't stop or it'll solidify) on a medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken.
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5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and thoroughly whisk the pastry cream. At this stage the pastry cream can look slightly lumpy, but a good whisking soon makes it smoother.
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(N.B. If you're worried about the pastry cream continuing to cook off the heat, you can transfer it to a stainless steel/ceramic bowl.)
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6. Beat in the butter and vanilla until fully incorporated.
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7. If you haven't already, pour the pastry cream into a stainless steel or ceramic bowl, and then place clingfilm over the surface to stop a skin forming.
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8. Refrigerate overnight to give the pastry cream time to further thicken.
