Crème caramel is one of the sweetest, smoothest, most delicious desserts in the world. Yet a surprisingly large number of cooks don’t know how to make it. That ends now, with this easy and divine recipe.
You’ll need salted caramel for this recipe.
Recipes and styling by Nomvuselelo Mncube
Photograph by Dylan Swart
Crème caramel
Ingredients
Caramel
- 130g castor sugar
- 30ml (2 tbsp) water
Custard
- 4 extra-large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 140g sugar
- 250ml (1 cups) milk
- 375ml (1½ cups) fresh cream
- seeds of 1 vanilla pod
- pinch salt
- 80ml (1/3 cup) salted caramel (link in description)
- mint leaves, to garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 150°C, grease and line a 1L loaf tin with baking paper. Set aside until needed.
For the caramel, place the castor sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the sugar to melt, increase the heat to high and bring the sugar to a boil, without stirring and cook, 8 - 10 minutes or until mixture is golden. Remove from heat and, once the bubbles have subsided, pour into the loaf tin. Allow to cool.
For the custard, beat the 4 extra-large eggs, 2 egg yolks and the sugar, until light and creamy. Place the milk, fresh cream, vanilla seeds and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat and simmer until hot, but not boiling. Whisk the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Strain the custard through a sieve and pour into the prepared loaf tin. Place the tin in a deep baking tray lined with a folded tea towel and pour enough boiling water into the tray to come halfway up the sides of the loaf tin. Bake, 1 hour 15 minutes or until the custard has set.
Remove the loaf tin from the baking tray and allow to cool, 5 minutes. Refrigerate, 2 hours or until chilled. Carefully run a knife or spatula around the edges of the tin and turn the custard out. Drizzle the salted caramel over and serve garnished with fresh mint leaves.
