Cambridge Burnt Cream

Name: Cambridge Burnt Cream
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: East Anglian
Ingredients: 450 ml double cream; 100 ml Whole milk; 1 whole vanilla pod; 1 strip lemon peel; 5 whole large egg yolks; 50 g golden caster sugar; 1 pinch Fine sea salt; 1 pinch Ground nutmeg; 4 tbsp demerara sugar

A velvety, rich vanilla and lemon-infused custard topped with a brittle, caramelised sugar crust that cracks cleanly with a spoon.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· East of England

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 540 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

450 ml double cream — fresh chilled
100 ml Whole milk — full fat
1 whole vanilla pod — split lengthwise and seeds scraped
1 strip lemon peel — pared thinly without white pith
5 whole large egg yolks — free-range, at room temperature
50 g golden caster sugar — for the custard base
1 pinch Fine sea salt — balances the sweetness
1 pinch Ground nutmeg — freshly grated
4 tbsp demerara sugar — for the crunchy caramel topping

Equipment

•Four wide shallow ramekins
•Deep roasting tin
•Medium saucepan
•Fine mesh sieve
•Balloon whisk
•Cook's blowtorch or grill

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 540 kcal
fat: 46 g
carbs: 28 g
fibre: 0 g
protein: 5 g
calories: 540 kcal

Instructions

1
Preheat your fan oven to 130°C (150°C conventional) and arrange four shallow ramekins inside a deep roasting tin.
2
Pour the double cream and whole milk into a saucepan over a medium hob.
3
Add the scraped vanilla seeds, empty pod, and pared lemon peel strip into the milk mixture.
4
Heat gently until bubbles form around the pan edge, then take off the hob to infuse for 10 minutes.
5
Whisk the egg yolks, golden caster sugar, salt, and nutmeg in a large heatproof bowl until pale and slightly frothy.
6
Strain the warm cream mixture through a fine sieve into the eggs, whisking constantly until smooth.
7
Divide the creamy liquid equally among the ramekins in your roasting tin.
8
Pour boiling kettle water into the roasting tin halfway up the sides of the ramekins to create a bain-marie (water bath).
9
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until just set with a delicate, jelly-like wobble in the centre.
10
Carefully lift out the ramekins, cool fully on a wire rack, then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
11
Blot any surface moisture with kitchen paper, scatter Demerara sugar over each ramekin, and caramelise under a blazing hot grill until dark amber.
12
Allow the burnt sugar crust to harden for 5 minutes at room temperature before cracking open with a spoon.

Chef's tips

Always use shallow ramekins rather than deep pots to ensure the proper ratio of crisp caramel topping to smooth cream. Make certain the custards are thoroughly chilled before caramelising so the cream beneath stays cold while the sugar melts.

Ingredient substitutions

Demerara sugar → white granulated sugar
vanilla pod → 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
lemon peel → thin strip of orange peel

Storage

Store un-caramelised custards covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, adding and torching the sugar crust just before serving.

Reheating

Do not reheat; serve chilled beneath the freshly torched, warm sugar crust.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overbaking the custards until curdled and grainy instead of removing them while still wobbly.
•Melting the sugar too slowly under a weak grill, which heats and liquifies the cold custard below.
•Leaving the caramelized custard in the fridge overnight, which softens the crunchy burnt sugar lid into syrup.

Serving suggestions

Serve with crisp, buttery Cambridge shortbread biscuits on the side.Pair with a handful of fresh tart raspberries or poached gooseberries to cut through the richness.