Creme Brulee Cupcakes

I’ve seen creme brulee come in all shapes and sizes lately. From one big pan of caramel creme brulee to viral creme brulee doughnuts and even, somehow, creme brulee espresso martinis, creme brulee has become the source of modern dessert inspo. So, when Alysha Braun from St. Catharines, Ontario, combined classic creme brulee with cupcakes, we knew it was going to be a work of genius. Here, vanilla cupcakes are filled and frosted with a homemade pastry cream—a nod to creme brulee’s custard—and topped with torched sugar, a creme brulee standard.

A little tip for the best eating experience: Wait to pipe the pastry cream and torch the sugar until just before serving. That way, you can keep the unfrosted cupcakes at room temperature so they stay nice and soft while the pastry cream can sit in the fridge so it doesn’t enter the temperature danger zone. Once you’re ready to serve, add the pastry cream and turbinado sugar to the cupcakes, and torch away! The cupcakes are so much more delicious when done fresh, and the sugar torching gives guests a fun little show.

Ingredients for Creme Brulee Cupcakes

• Butter: Soften the butter to room temperature. It should be soft enough that you can press a finger into it but not too soft that the edges appear oily or melty. I usually find that 30 minutes at room temperature is enough to bring the butter to the perfect consistency.
• Sugar: The cupcakes and pastry cream are sweetened with granulated sugar. We’ll use a different type of sugar for the creme brulee topping.
• Eggs: You’ll need six eggs total for the cupcakes, all at room temperature. Two of the eggs will go in the batter, and four egg yolks will go toward the pastry cream. Separate the egg whites from the yolks, and save the egg whites for gorgeous petits fours or nostalgic copycat Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies.
• Vanilla beans: Vanilla beans will give the cupcakes beautiful flecks of vanilla paste and a powerful vanilla flavor. Or, you can use 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract instead of the two vanilla pods.
• Cake flour: This type of flour will make your cupcakes super tender, light and delicate. You can use all-purpose flour if you’d like to save a trip to the store, but the cupcakes won’t be as light.
• Milk: You’ll need 2% milk for the cupcake batter and whole milk for the pastry cream. You can use another type of milk for the cupcake batter, but stick with whole milk for the pastry cream so it’s as rich as possible.
• Cornstarch: Along with the egg yolks, cornstarch helps thicken the pastry cream. If yours is very clumpy, quickly pass it through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Turbinado sugar: Turbinado sugar is raw sugar that comes from the first pressing of sugar cane. It maintains more of the plant’s flavor and darker hue. When melted, it has the dark, caramelized hue we love on creme brulee.

Directions

Step 1: Start the cupcake batter

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 22 muffin cups with foil liners.

In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Editor’s Tip: Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is incorporated.

Step 2: Add the vanilla beans and dry ingredients

Using the tip of a sharp knife, split the vanilla beans in half lengthwise. Turn the sharp knife and, using its spine, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean centers into the creamed mixture.

In another bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the 2% milk, beating well after each addition.

Editor’s Tip: I always like to start and end with the dry mixture; it makes for a stable batter.

Step 3: Bake

Fill the prepared cups half full. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in their pans for 10 minutes so they can finish setting up, then remove them to wire racks to cool completely to room temperature.

Step 4: Make the pastry cream

Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and cornstarch, then whisk in the whole milk. Cook and stir the mixture over medium heat until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Reduce the heat to low, and cook and stir the mixture for two minutes longer. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

In a small bowl, vigorously whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolks.

Editor’s Tip: Be quick and intentional when whisking the egg yolks with the hot milk; otherwise, the egg yolks will turn into floating pieces of scrambled eggs in hot milk.

Return the egg-milk mixture to the saucepan, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, and cook and stir for two minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and immediately pour the pastry cream into a bowl.

Step 5: Add the butter and chill

Place the bowl of pastry cream in an ice water bath for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to cool it. Add the cubed butter and vanilla extract. Remove the pastry cream bowl from the ice water bath, and stir in the butter and vanilla. Press storage wrap directly onto the surface of the custard so it doesn’t form a skin. Refrigerate the pastry cream until it’s cold.

Step 6: Assemble the cupcakes

Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry bag, then insert a small round tip. Fill the pastry bag with the pastry cream. Using a teaspoon, sharp paring knife or apple corer, scoop out the center of the cupcakes. Spoon or pipe the filling into the cupcakes. Spread any remaining pastry cream over the cupcake tops in a thin layer. Dip the cupcake tops in the turbinado sugar.

Step 7: Torch the sugar

To caramelize the turbinado sugar topping with a kitchen torch, hold the torch flame about 2 inches above the surface and rotate it slowly until the sugar is evenly caramelized. Serve the cupcakes immediately and enjoy!

Editor’s Tip: Remove the paper lining before torching so it doesn’t catch on fire.

Recipe Variations

• Make it boozy: If you’re serving adults only, add a little rum to the pastry cream when you add the butter. Start with 1 tablespoon, taste and then add more as desired.
• Add a little chocolate: Love a chocolate creme brulee? Replace the vanilla pastry cream with chocolate pastry cream and pipe it onto chocolate cupcakes.
• Change the cupcake flavor: No need to stick with vanilla; you can use any flavor you want. Chocolate, lemon or coconut would be particularly lovely here.

How to Store Creme Brulee Cupcakes

Creme brulee cupcakes are best eaten as soon as they’re piped and torched. If you have any leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one day. Keep in mind that the sugar topping will go soggy, but it will still be fine to eat.

Store any unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.

Can you freeze creme brulee cupcakes?

Yes, you can freeze creme brulee cupcakes as long as they’re unfrosted. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw the cupcakes at room temperature whenever you’re ready to enjoy them, then add the pastry cream and torched sugar topping.

Creme Brulee Cupcake Tips

Can you make this creme brulee cupcake recipe gluten-free?

Yes, you can make the creme brulee cupcake recipe gluten-free by using our gluten-free vanilla cupcakes recipe instead. All the other pastry cream ingredients are naturally gluten-free, but make sure they’re certified gluten-free if anyone is particularly sensitive or has celiac disease.

Why is my pastry cream lumpy?

Your pastry cream is lumpy because the egg-milk mixture was tempered too quickly back into the warm milk. Do this in a very slow, steady stream so you can whisk vigorously and achieve a smooth pastry cream as you cook. Feel free to pause the stream for a second to catch up on the whisking and to ensure there are no lumps, if needed.

Do I have to torch the pastry cream?

No, you don’t have to torch the pastry cream, although the cupcake will no longer have the full creme brulee effect. If that’s OK with you, feel free to just pipe the pastry cream into the filling and on top of the cupcakes, and enjoy them from there. You could even cover them with chocolate ganache for a Boston cream doughnut effect!