Crème Brûlée

A smooth baked vanilla custard with a delicate caramelized sugar top.

Simple ingredients, gentle heat, and careful texture control create one of the most classic pastry desserts.

Introduction

Crème brûlée teaches patience and precision.

The goal is a custard that feels silky and soft — never grainy, rubbery, or overbaked.

A properly baked crème brûlée should gently tremble in the center while remaining smooth and creamy throughout.

Ingredients

5 egg yolks
1 whole egg
500g heavy cream
80g sugar
1 vanilla bean

Before You Start

Cook gently to avoid curdling
Do not boil the custard
Water bath helps create even baking

Method

1. Prepare the Vanilla Cream

Split and scrape the vanilla bean.

Divide the sugar into two portions:

half for the eggs
half for the cream

In a saucepan, combine:

heavy cream
half the sugar
vanilla bean and seeds

Heat gently until steaming.

👉 Do not boil.

2. Prepare the Egg Mixture

Whisk together:

egg yolks
whole egg
remaining sugar

Mix until smooth.

3. Temper the Custard

Slowly pour the warm cream into the egg mixture while whisking continuously.

4. Cook the Custard Base

Return the mixture to low-medium heat.

Stir constantly until the custard thickens slightly and coats the spatula.

👉 Test by running a finger across the spatula:
the line should remain clear without running.

5. Bake

Pour custard into ramekins.

Place ramekins into a tray with a small amount of hot water.

Bake at 170°C (340°F) for approximately 15–20 minutes.

How to Test Doneness

Touch the surface gently:

custard should feel set
surface should not stick to your finger
center should still wobble slightly

Common Mistakes

overheating custard → scrambled texture
overbaking → buttery or grainy texture
boiling cream → rough texture

Important Insight

Crème brûlée continues setting as it cools.

Removing it slightly under-set helps preserve a smooth creamy texture.

Finishing

Chill completely before sprinkling sugar evenly on top.

Caramelize the sugar using a torch until golden and crisp.

What to Look For

silky smooth custard
delicate wobble
thin crisp caramel layer

Chapter 6 — Baked Custards