Orange Cardamom Crème Brûlée with Toasted Sugar Crust

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

A silky baked custard infused with fragrant orange zest and warm cardamom, topped with a crisp caramelized sugar crust. This French recipe, ready in about 65 minutes, layers heavy cream, whole milk, and cardamom pods, crushed into a dessert worth slowing down for — great for weekend baking, holiday tables, or any time you want a sweet payoff at the end of a meal. Each serving lands at about 350 calories and feeds 6, so it slots into a weekend bake or a special-occasion dessert tray. Tap "Add this recipe to your weekly plan" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 20 min Cook: 45 min Serves 6 French cuisine 350 cal/serving
Add this recipe to your weekly plan → Shop this recipe on Instacart → Shop equipment ↓

Ingredients

Affiliate disclosure: AislePrompt may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through Amazon links, at no additional cost to you. See our policy →

Equipment for this recipe

Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.

More Cookware & pots → Shop all kitchen tools →

Instructions

  1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 325°F. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 cup whole milk, 6 crushed cardamom pods, and 1 tbsp fresh orange zest. Heat over medium heat until just simmering, then remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes to infuse flavors.
  2. Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together 5 large egg yolks and 3/4 cup granulated sugar until pale and slightly thickened.
  3. Step 3: Slowly strain the warm cream mixture through a fine sieve into the egg yolk mixture, discarding cardamom pods and zest. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla bean paste.
  4. Step 4: Divide the custard evenly among six 6-ounce ramekins. Place ramekins in a large baking pan and add hot water halfway up the sides of the ramekins to create a water bath.
  5. Step 5: Bake for 40-45 minutes until custards are set but still slightly jiggly in the center. Remove ramekins from water bath and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  6. Step 6: Before serving, sprinkle about 1 tbsp turbinado sugar evenly over each custard. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar until golden and crisp. Let sit for 2 minutes to harden before serving.

Related recipes