Cream caramel pudding: the secret to making it perfect!

A delicious dessert that goes by many different names: crème caramel, flan, caramel pudding, condensed milk pudding, or caramel custard. A Creme Caramel is a classic French dessert that is both delicate and rich. It's a perfect dessert for a special occasion or for those who crave a sweet treat after dinner—a great way to impress your dinner guests! The dessert is made up of a silky smooth custard base that is topped with a layer of golden caramel, which adds a lovely touch of sweetness. With a few simple ingredients and a little patience, you can make this French, elegant dessert in the comfort of your own home!

What is Cream Caramel Pudding

While the names for this dessert are often used interchangeably, there are slight differences between flan and crème caramel.

The Cream caramel is a classic French dessert consisting of a custard base with a sweet caramel layer. It’s made with milk, eggs, and sugar, and is usually flavored with vanilla. Once cooked the dessert is inverted onto the serving plate, to reveal the sticky caramel layer.

Unlike cream caramels, which are always sweet, flans come on both savory and sweet. Recipes for flans date back to Roman times, where it has been served as a main course or dessert. When made for dessert, flans look much like cream caramel. But when it’s made into a savory dish, it resembles a quiche and is often served in squares.

Tips

Unlike the Vietnamese Flan which contains a lot of small bubbles, a classic Cream Caramel should never contain bubbles, but be a smooth mixture instead. Prevent these bubbles by not over-whisking your custard.

The flan should be slightly jiggly when it comes out of the oven, it will continue to cook from residual heat.

Use room-temperature eggs for best results—they’ll be less likely to scramble once you add the milk

Don’t skip the straining step, this creates a smooth custard.

How to Store Cream Caramel

Store the Cream Caramel in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can I Make It Ahead of Time?

This recipe is great for making ahead of time. Once the dessert has cooled, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge.

Instructions

Place the sugar and 4 tsp water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the mixture becomes dark and caramelized. Once the mixture turns to caramel, add the extra hot water and stir.

Pour the caramel into a baking dish, making sure that the entire surface is covered with the caramel. Allow to cool.

In the meanwhile, make the custard. In another pan, combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until dissolved. Allow to cool.

In another bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar, and mix.

Pour in cooled milk into the egg mixture.

Pour the mixture through a sieve, and transfer it to a pan.

Strain the mixture again, pouring it onto the cooled caramel.

Place the baking dish in a water bath and cover with foil. Bake with water at 150°C (300°F) for 50 minutes.

Invert the dish carefully onto a serving plate.

Slice with a sharp knife, and serve.

Enjoy!