Crème caramel
Crème caramel (upside-down caramel cream) is a classic of bistro cuisine. The vanilla cream is made with eggs, cooked in a dish with a layer of caramel in the bottom, and placed in a bain-marie. It's traditionally served turned out so that the liquid caramel runs down over the cream.
257 K 4.1/5 (22 reviews)
3 hours 35 min.
Easy
4 people
5 IngredientsLast modified on: February 21th 2011
For 4 people, you will need:
- 1
2.6 oz caster sugar - 2
1 lb + 1.6 oz Milk - 3
½ vanilla pod - 4 3.5 oz caster sugar
- 5
3 Eggs
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 45 min.
Resting: 2 hours 10 min.
Cooking: 40 min.
All in all: 3 hours 35 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 15 min.
Prepare a light caramel with 2.6 oz caster sugar.
Please note: It's important that the caramel should be light and not dark as it will continue cooking during the rest of the process, and so risk becoming overcooked and bitter.
Please note: It's important that the caramel should be light and not dark as it will continue cooking during the rest of the process, and so risk becoming overcooked and bitter.
Stage 2 - 2 min.
Pour a little liquid caramel into the bottom of a ramekin...
Stage 3 - 1 min.
... and turn the ramekin so that the caramel coats the base and sides. Pour any excess back into the pan (don't worry for now if there are dribbles around the top of the dish).
Warning: This is a tricky moment, and liquid caramel is burning hot and very dangerous. It is wise to keep young children well clear, and to protect your hands with oven gloves while handling the ramekins (not like I am doing in the photos).
Warning: This is a tricky moment, and liquid caramel is burning hot and very dangerous. It is wise to keep young children well clear, and to protect your hands with oven gloves while handling the ramekins (not like I am doing in the photos).
Stage 4 - 10 min.
Do this with all the ramekins.
Stage 5 - 10 min.
Pour 1 lb + 1.6 oz Milk into a pan with ½ vanilla pod, scraped to remove the small black seeds inside, and bring to the boil over medium heat.
Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F), and boil a kettle (or large pan) of water.
Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F), and boil a kettle (or large pan) of water.
Stage 6 - 5 min.
Meanwhile pour 3.5 oz caster sugar into a bowl and add 3 Eggs. Mix well with a maryse.
Pour the boiling milk over, and beat to mix.
Pour the boiling milk over, and beat to mix.
Stage 7 - 10 min.
Pour the mixture through a strainer, preferably over a high-sided container, to remove the bits of vanilla pod.
Leave to rest 10 minutes, then skim off any foam that forms on the surface.
Leave to rest 10 minutes, then skim off any foam that forms on the surface.
Stage 8 - 40 min.
Place the ramekins in a large, deep baking sheet, then fill them with cream and put in the oven. Pour boiling water into the tray, then close the oven door and leave to cook around 40 minutes.
Stage 9 - 2 hours
Check that the creams are cooked, like testing a cake, then remove from the oven and leave at least an hour to cool to room temperature.
Then refrigerate overnight.
Then refrigerate overnight.
Stage 10
Serve by turning out onto dessert plates or dishes. Overnight the caramel will have liquified, and will now run down over the cream.
Remove from the fridge an hour before serving if possible so that the cream is not too cold.
Remove from the fridge an hour before serving if possible so that the cream is not too cold.
Remarks
You will notice that this cream uses whole eggs. This makes it firmer than the cream used for crème brulée for example, so that it can be turned out easily.
If you make this dessert for your children or grandchildren, you'll find there's no more talk of desserts from packet mixes.
If you make this dessert for your children or grandchildren, you'll find there's no more talk of desserts from packet mixes.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, covered by a plastic film.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 40 RDI=20 % | 190 RDI=20 % | 40 RDI=6 % | 1,310 RDI=70 % | 5,510 RDI: 70 % |
| Per 100 g | 5 RDI=2 % | 20 RDI=2 % | 4 RDI=1 % | 160 RDI=8 % | 670 RDI: 8 % |
| Per person | 10 RDI=4 % | 50 RDI=5 % | 10 RDI=2 % | 330 RDI=20 % | 1,380 RDI: 20 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 4 people : 2.40 €
- Per person : 0.60 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Milk
Like these other recipes: Potato gratin, Toasted almond cake, How to heat milk without it catching on the bottom of the pan, Savoury mini-madeleines with 2 cheeses, Mouna, ... See them all 60
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: How to succeed in making sabayon (syllabub), Victoria pineapple and lime tarts, Pistachio panna cotta with custard, Profiteroles, Apple charlotte with toasted brioche, ... See them all 351
Egg
Like these other recipes: Plain cake, Leek and Mimolette tart, Toasted almond cake, Arizona cupcakes, Lemon Mayonnaise, ... See them all 226
Vanilla pod
Like these other recipes: Mulled apple juice, Paris flan filling, Apple confectioner's custard, Panna cotta, Lemon Confectioner's Custard, ... See them all 35
Other recipes you may also like
Chestnut cake
This delightful cake is doubly chestnutty: it contains chestnut flour, and sweet chestnut purée.May 8th 2020330 K5 1 hour 15 min.
Apricot fool
The traditional fruit fool is a rather old-fashioned dessert, consisting of whipped cream (Chantilly) with a fruit coulis gently folded into it.August 8th 2010187 K5 20 min.
Baked Alaska
The name may be odd, but Baked Alaska is an elegant dessert. The core of this version is a "sandwich" of vanilla ice cream and blackcurrant sorbet between 2 layers of sponge soaked in rum-flavoured syrup. This is then covered in a layer of meringue and put in a very hot oven for just a few minutes...November 12th 201748 K4.3 6 hours 50 min.
Cajun pulled pork
Pulled pork is a joint cooked long and slow so that it can be shredded easily with a fork. This Cajun-spiced version can be eaten like a classic meat meal or served in burger buns.February 19th 202338 K 5 hours 20 min.
Brioche tart with Comté cheese
A delicious brioche tart with a creamy Comté cheese and Jura white wine filling.October 9th 20245,244 50 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2024-11-24)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.