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Crème Brûlée Cupcakes Recipe

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4.2 from 14 reviews

Crème Brûlée Cupcakes combine the classic creamy vanilla custard of crème brûlée with soft, fluffy vanilla cupcakes. These elegant dessert cupcakes feature a rich vanilla pastry cream filling topped with a crisp caramelized sugar crust, created by brûléeing the sugar right before serving. Perfect for special occasions or impressing guests with a sophisticated twist on cupcakes.

Ingredients

Vanilla Pastry Cream

  • 1¾ cups whole milk (415ml)
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter (28g)

Vanilla Cupcakes

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour (191g)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (56g)
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil (60ml)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup milk, room temperature (120ml)

For Brûlée Topping

  • ¼ to ⅓ cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Prepare Vanilla Pastry Cream: Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the vanilla bean seeds, pods, and milk. Heat until just about to simmer (small bubbles forming). If using vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean, heat only the milk.
  2. Turn off heat: When bubbles appear, remove the saucepan from heat.
  3. Mix egg yolks: In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and cornstarch until pale and smooth.
  4. Temper eggs: Slowly pour about ¼ cup of the hot vanilla milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking continuously to prevent cooking the eggs. Continue gradually adding milk until fully incorporated.
  5. Cook custard: Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan through a strainer to remove any cooked bits and vanilla pods. Over medium heat, stir continuously until the custard thickens like pudding. Even if it looks lumpy at first, keep stirring until smooth.
  6. Add flavor and butter: Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract if not using vanilla bean seeds, then add butter and mix until smooth.
  7. Chill pastry cream: Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  8. Preheat oven and prep pans: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and line 14 cupcake tins with liners.
  9. Mix dry ingredients: Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  10. Cream butter and sugar: Using an electric mixer, beat butter for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and vegetable oil; beat on medium speed until creamy and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape bowl sides as needed.
  11. Add eggs and vanilla: Add eggs one at a time, mixing each until combined before the next. Stir in vanilla extract.
  12. Combine wet and dry: Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk—in three parts dry, two parts milk—starting and ending with dry. Mix on low speed after each addition and fold gently to combine.
  13. Fill cupcake liners: Divide batter evenly among liners, filling them about two-thirds full.
  14. Bake cupcakes: Bake for about 18 minutes, starting to check at 15 minutes. Test doneness by pressing the top—if it springs back, cupcakes are done. Cool completely before assembling.
  15. Hollow cupcakes: Using a spoon, remove the center of each cooled cupcake to make space for the filling.
  16. Fill cupcakes: Fill a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip with chilled pastry cream. Pipe filling into the hollowed centers and then pipe a rounded mound on top of each cupcake. Smooth with a spatula or spoon.
  17. Brûlée sugar topping: Right before serving, sprinkle about ½ teaspoon granulated sugar evenly over the custard topping. Optionally dip the cupcake top into sugar for an even coat. Chill for 5–10 minutes if needed to help sugar adhere.
  18. Caramelize sugar: Use a kitchen blowtorch to gently melt and caramelize the sugar until golden and crisp. Serve immediately for the best crackling texture.

Notes

  • Pastry cream can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.
  • Only brûlée the sugar topping right before serving to maintain its crunchy texture.
  • Use room temperature ingredients for best cupcake texture.
  • Be careful when tempering eggs to avoid scrambling.
  • For a quicker sugar crust, you can dip cupcake tops into sugar before torching.

Find it online: https://dishcooks.com/creme-brulee-cupcakes-recipe/