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Creme Brûlée Cupcakes Recipe

★★★★★

4.5 from 247 reviews
  • Author: Harry
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x

Description

These Creme Brûlée Cupcakes are a delightful fusion of classic French dessert and classic American cupcakes. Featuring a moist vanilla cupcake base filled with rich, creamy pastry cream, topped with a decadent caramel frosting and finished with a crisp, caramelized sugar topping. Perfect for impressing guests or enjoying a luxurious treat at home.

Ingredients

Scale

Cupcake Batter

  • 6 tbsp (84g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (155g) sugar
  • 6 tbsp (86g) sour cream, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups (163g) all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp (90ml) milk, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) water, room temperature

Pastry Cream Filling

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 6 tbsp (78g) sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 cup (240ml) milk
  • 1 tbsp (14g) salted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Caramel Frosting

  • 1/2 cup (112g) salted butter
  • 1/2 cup (95g) shortening
  • 4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
  • 3–4 tbsp caramel sauce
  • 2–3 tbsp water or milk

Topping

  • 1/4 cup (52g) sugar (for caramelizing)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners to get ready for baking the cupcakes.
  2. Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the unsalted butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is light in color and fluffy. This ensures a tender cupcake texture.
  3. Add sour cream and vanilla: Mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract until fully incorporated, creating a smooth batter base.
  4. Add egg whites: Incorporate the egg whites in two batches, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl sides to fully combine all ingredients.
  5. Combine dry ingredients and liquids: In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine the milk and water in a small measuring cup.
  6. Mix batter: Add half the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until combined. Add the milk mixture and combine. Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
  7. Fill and bake cupcakes: Spoon batter into the cupcake liners until half full. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  8. Cool cupcakes: Remove cupcakes from oven and let them cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. Prepare egg yolks: In a medium bowl, gently beat the egg yolks and set aside.
  10. Make pastry cream base: In a large saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and milk until smooth.
  11. Cook pastry cream base: Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken and bubble.
  12. Simmer: Reduce heat to medium and gently simmer for 2 minutes, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Remove from heat.
  13. Temper egg yolks: Slowly add a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs.
  14. Combine and cook: Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Return to heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring continuously for 2 minutes until thickened to a creamy custard.
  15. Finish pastry cream: Remove from heat and stir in the salted butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  16. Make caramel frosting: In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening until smooth.
  17. Add powdered sugar and caramel: Add half the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Stir in 3 tablespoons caramel sauce. Add remaining powdered sugar and mix well.
  18. Adjust consistency: Add additional caramel sauce and water or milk as needed to reach a pipeable frosting consistency.
  19. Core cupcakes: Use a cupcake corer or knife to remove the centers from the cooled cupcakes, creating space for the pastry cream filling.
  20. Fill cupcakes: Spoon or pipe the cooled pastry cream into the hollowed centers of each cupcake.
  21. Pipe frosting: Using a piping bag fitted with Ateco tip 808, pipe a dome of caramel frosting onto each cupcake.
  22. Sugar topping: Place sugar in a small bowl, invert each cupcake, and dip into the sugar to coat the frosting bottom in sugar.
  23. Chill cupcakes: Refrigerate the cupcakes for 30 minutes to an hour to firm the frosting.
  24. Caramelize sugar: Using a butane kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar-coated portion of the frosting until golden and crisp, creating the classic brûlée topping.
  25. Final chill and serve: Return cupcakes to the refrigerator until ready to serve. Best enjoyed cool but not cold for optimal texture and flavor.

Notes

  • Room temperature ingredients help the batter mix smoothly and produce a tender crumb.
  • Ensure constant stirring when cooking pastry cream to prevent lumps and burning.
  • Tempering the egg yolks prevents them from curdling during cooking.
  • Using a kitchen torch for caramelizing sugar creates the signature crispy brûlée top; if unavailable, broiling briefly can be a substitute but watch closely.
  • Store leftovers in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days for freshness.
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: French-American fusion

Keywords: Creme Brûlée Cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, pastry cream filling, caramel frosting, dessert, French dessert, caramelized sugar topping

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Find it online: https://dishesbyharry.com/creme-brulee-cupcakes-recipe/