Canelé (Bordeaux Caramelized Rum Vanilla Custard Cake)
Canelé is a small French pastry from Bordeaux with a caramelized, almost burnt exterior and a soft, custardy interior perfumed with vanilla and rum. The batter - milk, eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla bean, and dark rum - is simple, but the technique is demanding. It must rest overnight in the refrigerator to relax the gluten and allow the flavors to meld. Traditional copper molds are coated with beeswax, which creates the distinctive lacquered crust during high-temperature baking. The contrast between the thin, crackly shell and the yielding, moist center is what makes each bite compelling. The vanilla and rum fragrance intensifies as the surface caramelizes, producing a depth of flavor that belies the simplicity of the ingredients. Canelés are at their best within two hours of baking, after which the crust gradually loses its crispness to the moisture migrating from within.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat milk with butter and vanilla bean until just before boiling.
- 2
Mix eggs, yolks, and sugar, add flour and stir without creating bubbles.
- 3
Strain warm milk slowly into egg mixture, stirring gently.
- 4
Add rum, cover with wrap, and rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
- 5
Coat canelé molds with beeswax or butter, fill 80%, bake at 220°C for 15 min, then 190°C for 45 min.
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