Baked Vanilla Custard Cups
A French-style baked custard, gently set in the oven until barely firm, with a soft vanilla perfume and a caramel-free, silky finish.
- Total
- 121 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 51 · Rest 60
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Tempering eggs · Whisking
- Sweet
- French
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 150°C. Boil water and let it cool for a minute so it is hot but not furiously boiling.
~10 min
Hot but not boiling water creates a gentle water bath that insulates the custard, preventing curdling and ensuring a silky set.
-
Warm the 500 ml milk in a heatproof jug with 60 g of the sugar and the vanilla, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool for 5 minutes so it will not scramble the eggs.
~5 min
Warming the milk dissolves sugar and infuses vanilla, while cooling slightly prevents the eggs from scrambling when combined.
-
Whisk the 4 eggs with the remaining 20 g sugar and a pinch of salt just until smooth, not frothy. Pour the warm milk in slowly while whisking, then strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug.
~6 min
Straining removes chalazae and any cooked egg bits, ensuring a perfectly smooth custard.
Tempering eggs Slowly pour warm milk into eggs while whisking constantly; if you add too fast or stop whisking, the eggs will scramble.
Whisking Whisk just until smooth, not frothy; overwhisking incorporates air that creates bubbles and a spongy texture.
-
Divide the custard between 4 ramekins. Set them in the deep baking dish and pour hot water into the dish to come halfway up the sides. Cover the dish loosely with foil.
~5 min
The water bath surrounds the ramekins with gentle, even heat, while foil traps steam to keep the custard from drying or forming a skin.
-
Bake until the custards are set at the edge but still wobble slightly in the centre when the dish is nudged, 30 to 35 minutes.
~35 min
The edge sets first; a slight wobble in the centre signals the custard is just set and will carry over to firm without curdling.
If the custards puff or look grainy, the oven was too hot: next time drop it to 140°C and add 5 minutes.
A skewer inserted 1 cm from the edge should come out clean while the centre still trembles; that is the moment to pull them out.
-
Lift the ramekins out of the water and cool on a rack, then chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
~60 min