Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée Cupcakes
Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée Cupcakes combine fluffy vanilla cupcakes with silky custard filling. Learn this step-by-step recipe for bakery-quality dessert at home.
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- electric mixer
- whisk
- muffin tin
- paper liners
- wire rack
- saucepan
- fine-mesh sieve
- wooden spoon
- paring knife
- cutting board
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- oven
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped and pod reserved
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk at room temperature
Custard Filling
- 1 cup granulated sugar for custard
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 5 large egg yolks at room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar for yolk mixture
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set this dry mixture aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the softened unsalted butter and 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the 3 whole eggs one at a time, followed by the pure vanilla extract and the scraped seeds from the vanilla bean.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry flour mixture and the room-temperature buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until just combined; the batter should be smooth with no dry streaks.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the cupcakes in the tin to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the custard, heat the heavy cream and the reserved vanilla bean pod in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer, then remove from heat and let it steep for 15 minutes. Discard the pod.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the 5 egg yolks and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until pale and slightly thickened.
- Slowly pour the warm cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Return the combined mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes. Do not let it boil. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, then let it cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- To assemble, use a small paring knife or a cupcake corer to cut a 1-inch wide by 1-inch deep hole from the top center of each cooled cupcake. Spoon or pipe the cooled custard into each hole until level with the cupcake top. Chill the filled cupcakes for at least 1 hour to set the custard.
Notes
Ensure ingredients are at room temperature for best results. Chill filled cupcakes thoroughly to set the custard.