Canelés de Bordeaux

Small fluted cakes with a caramelised crust giving way to a soft, barely set custardy centre scented with vanilla and rum. The outside tastes of dark sugar and warmth, while the inside is tender and almost flan-like. They take patience, but they are worth every bit of it!

Prep20

Cook40

Total1 1

Servings canelés

DifficultyAdvanced

Ingredients

500 ml whole milk
1 vanilla pod split
50 gr unsalted butter plus extra for greasing
4 eggs 2 whole + 2 egg yolks
250 gr caster sugar
100 gr plain flour
1 pinch salt
50 ml dark rum amber rum is traditional

For the moulds

beeswax
unsalted butter

Equipment

Instructions

Infuse the milk (day 1)

Heat the milk with the split vanilla pod (seeds scraped in) and the 50g butter until just steaming. Take off the heat and leave to infuse 15 minutes.

Make the batter

Whisk the sugar, flour and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the whole eggs and yolks to a smooth paste. Pour in the warm milk gradually, whisking, to a thin, smooth batter (like crêpe batter). Stir in the rum. Strain through a sieve.

Rest

Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, ideally 48.

Prepare the moulds (day 2)

For the classic crust, melt beeswax with a little butter, coat each mould, invert to drain the excess, and chill until set hard. Or brush generously with butter and chill.

Fill and bake hot

Heat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan). Whisk the rested batter gently to recombine. Fill each mould to 5mm from the top. Bake 15 minutes at 240°C.

Lower and finish

Reduce to 180°C (160°C fan) and bake another 45 to 55 minutes, until deep, dark mahogany brown outside. Don't pull them pale.

Unmould and cool

Turn out immediately onto a rack (they should drop out). Cool at least 1 to 2 hours. Best eaten the same day.

Notes

Rest the batter 24 to 48 hours, non-negotiable, for the custardy centre.
Bake them dark. Deep mahogany is right; pale means underbaked and no crackle.
Copper moulds give the best crust; silicone works with a softer shell.
Beeswax gives the signature lacquered crust; butter alone is easier and still good.
Eat them the day they're made. The crust softens overnight; the batter keeps 3 days to bake fresh.

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