Canelé

Canelé de Bordeaux

Bordeaux's signature little cake: a rum-and-vanilla custard batter baked in fluted copper moulds until the outside darkens to a deep, lacquered, caramelised crust and the inside stays soft and almost custardy.

Prep

20 min

Cook

60 min

Total

80 min

Serves

12 canelés

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 ml (2 cups + 2 tbsp) whole milk
• •50 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter
• •1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped, or 2 tsp vanilla extract
• •250 g (1¼ cups) caster sugar
• •125 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
• •2 whole egg yolks, plus 1 whole egg
• •45 ml (3 tbsp) dark rum, Negrita or other dark rum is traditional
• •1 tbsp beeswax pearls or soft butter, for greasing moulds; beeswax gives the classic lacquered finish

Steps

1. 1 Place the milk, butter and split (with scraped seeds) vanilla bean in a small saucepan and bring just to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 15-20 minutes, then discard the bean.
2. 2 In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and whole egg with the sugar until just pale. Add the sifted flour and whisk gently until smooth; do not overwork.
3. 3 Temper the vanilla milk into the batter in a thin stream, whisking constantly, until fully incorporated. Stir in the rum.
4. 4 Cover and chill the batter for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours; this resting time is essential for the right custardy interior.
5. 5 When ready to bake, place a rack in the lower-middle of the oven and preheat to 240°C (460°F). Generously coat the inside of each canelé mould (or silicone mould) with melted beeswax or soft butter, reaching up the fluted sides.
6. 6 Fill each mould about two-thirds full (the batter should sit just below the rim).
7. 7 Bake at 240°C for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) and continue baking 40-50 minutes, until the canelés are a deep, dark mahogany and feel firm at the edges.
8. 8 Unmould immediately onto a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes so the crust crisps. Doneness cue: tap the top - it should sound hollow and feel hard; the interior should read about 70°C (158°F) on an instant-read thermometer.
9. 9 Best eaten the day they are baked, just warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours - do not seal in a container or the crust will soften.