Custards, creams & meringues
crème brûlée base
crème anglaise · A rich custard of egg yolks, sugar, cream and flavouring, baked in a water bath just until set. It is the foundational cream from which the finished crème brûlée — caramelised sugar crust atop — is made. The base is essentially crème anglaise taken to the oven rather than the sauceboat; the same custard applied to other ramekins yields crème catalane, flan, or pots de crème.
The formula
1 L cream : 6 yolks : 100–130 g sugar
Scale freely: per 250 mL cream (≈1 cup) use ~1½ yolks, 25–33 g sugar. Minimum 6 yolks/L gives a tender set; 8 yolks/L yields a firmer, more classical custard. Whole milk can replace up to 50 % cream for a lighter version. Aromatics infused at ~1 vanilla bean or 2–3 g loose-leaf per litre.
Identity
- Full‑fat cream (minimum 30 % fat) — fat coats protein, preventing over‑coagulation and yielding a silken texture.
- Minimum 6 egg yolks per litre — yolks provide lecithin emulsifier, colour, flavour and the protein network that sets the custard.
- Water‑bath (bain‑marie) — gentle radiant heat prevents the outer edges from overcooking while the centre sets.
- Baking just below 100 °C — custard should tremble at the centre when done; carry‑over heat completes setting.
- Ramekins sealed tight in the bath — steam escaping cools the surface, creating a skin and uneven texture.
Ingredients
| Base | full‑fat cream (minimum 30 % fat) | The primary liquid and fat vehicle; determines texture and richness. Lower fat yields a grainier, thinner result. |
| Binder | egg yolks | 6 per litre minimum for structure; 8 per litre for firmer, more classical custard. Yolks supply lecithin, proteins and colour. |
| Sweetener | caster sugar | 100 g per litre for a neutral‑sweet base; 130 g per litre for a sweeter finished result before caramel topping. |
| Aromatics | vanilla bean (or paste, extract, or alternative flavouring) | One vanilla bean per litre, split and infused in warm cream. Alternatives: tonka bean, cardamom, orange zest, coffee, lavender — all added to cream before straining. |
| Seasoning | pinch of fine salt | Amplifies flavour and slightly denatures proteins, improving texture and preventing sweetness from cloying. |
Method
- 1Infuse the cream with aromatics: bring cream to a bare simmer with split vanilla bean (or chosen flavouring), steep 15–20 minutes off heat, then strain through a fine‑mesh sieve.Steeping extracts vanilla compounds (vanillin is oil‑soluble) without boiling off aromatic volatiles. Straining removes bean fragments and any particulate aromatics.
- 2Whisk yolks and sugar together in a bowl until pale and slightly thickened — about 1 minute.Dissolves sugar fully, breaks yolk membranes for even cooking, and begins emulsification. Pale colour indicates incorporated air that will aerate slightly.
- 3Pour hot cream onto yolk mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly and briskly.Tempering — adding hot liquid gradually — raises yolk temperature gently, preventing scrambled‑egg curds. Constant agitation distributes heat evenly.
- 4Skim foam from surface with a spoon, then strain through a fine‑mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a jug.Foam/air bubbles would burst during baking, creating a pocked surface. Straining removes any chalazae fragments and ensures a silky, homogeneous liquid.
- 5Pour into lightly oiled ramekins (or directly from the jug). Place in a deep roasting tray. Pour boiling water into the tray to reach two‑thirds up the ramekin sides. Slide into an oven preheated to 150 °C (300 °F) fan‑assist or 160 °C conventional.Water bath moderates temperature — the bath hovers near boiling while the oven air is drier, giving steady gentle heat. 25–35 mm of water cover ensures even radiant heat transfer through the ramekin sides.
- 6Bake 35–45 minutes (depending on ramekin depth and oven) until the edges are fully set and the centre still trembles when the tray is gently shaken. Remove from bath; cool on a rack at room temperature, then refrigerate minimum 4 hours or overnight before serving.The centre must remain liquid enough to flow; overbaking yields a rubbery texture. Cooling in the ramekin allows the custard to set fully as it cools via carry‑over and refrigeration.
Techniques that matter
Water‑bath (bain‑marie) cooking
Insulates the custard from direct oven heat; water's high specific heat capacity and gentle convection maintain a steady ~95 °C environment, preventing the protein matrix from tightening abruptly and giving a silky, even set.
Tempering
Gradually raising the yolk temperature before combining with hot cream prevents protein denaturation and scrambling; the proteins must coagulate slowly and uniformly to form a smooth gel.
Carry‑over setting
The centre of a baked custard continues to cook for 5–10 minutes after removal from the oven; removing from the bath while the centre still trembles accounts for this residual heat and prevents overcooking.
Straining and skimming
Foam and chalazae are nucleation points for overcooking and produce a rough, pocked surface; removing them before baking ensures a mirror‑smooth top — critical when the caramelised crust is the finished surface.
Variations & derivatives
crème catalaneCatalonia / southern France
Uses whole milk instead of cream, cornflour (starch) as primary thickener, and is cooked on the stovetop rather than baked. Flavourings: lemon zest, cinnamon.
flan parisien / crème pâtissière brûléeFrance
Uses a crème pâtissière base (cream + egg + sugar + cornflour) baked in a large mould; unmoulded and served with caramel sauce, not a torched crust.
pots de crèmeFrance
Same custard formula but baked in smaller individual pots (60–80 mL) with a shorter baking time; less structure, more unctuous. Often served without a brûlée crust.
crème renversée au caramelFrance, Latin America
Caramel is poured into the mould first; custard baked atop, then unmoulded so caramel pools on top. Classic French technique.
leche quemada / dulce de leche custardMexico, Colombia
Uses arequipe or dulce de leche whisked into cream as the primary sweetener, yielding a caramel‑forward flavour.
Used in these dishes
Substitutions
- full‑fat cream → half cream, half whole milk — Reduces richness and fat content; yields a slightly firmer, less velvety texture. Do not substitute lower‑fat milk below 3.5 % — eggs will overcook before the custard sets.
- egg yolks → whole eggs (reduced yolks) — Whole eggs contain more water and less fat/lecithin than yolks alone; substitution yields a softer, more spongy set. Use 4 whole eggs + 2 yolks per litre for a middle ground.changes result
- caster sugar → light brown sugar or demerara — Imparts a slight molasses note; acceptable but slightly alters caramelisation colour and rate when brûléeing.
- vanilla bean → 1 tsp vanilla extract per litre — Extract is added after tempering (off heat) to preserve volatile aromatics. Result is slightly less aromatic than a fresh bean infusion.
Troubleshooting
Custard is grainy or has visible white curds
Overheating during tempering or baking — yolks coagulated too aggressively, protein strands tightened into gritty aggregates. → Next time: temper more carefully (add cream in slower stream); lower oven temperature by 5–10 °C; ensure water bath reaches two‑thirds up the ramekin. Already‑grainy custard cannot be fixed but is still edible.
Custard is runny / won't set
Too few yolks for the liquid volume, underbaking, or insufficient cooling/setting time. → Ensure minimum 6 yolks per litre; bake until edges are fully set and centre just trembles; allow full refrigerated setting time (4+ hours). Underbaked custard can be returned to the oven.
Surface is bubbled, pocked or split
Foam not removed before baking; or ramekins moved while centre was still liquid. → Skim foam meticulously after straining; do not move ramekins during or immediately after baking. Bubbled surface ruins the brûlée crust evenness.
Custard is rubbery or has a tough top skin
Baking temperature too high, water bath too shallow (exposed ramekin tops), or overbaking. → Seal tray tightly with foil if tops are exposed to dry oven air; reduce oven to 140–145 °C fan; remove while centre still clearly liquid.