Creme Caramel Flan Recipe
This Creme Caramel (Italian Flan Recipe) is a silky Italian custard made with whole milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon, topped with a layer of golden caramel sauce. Baked gently in a water bath, the custard develops a smooth, delicate texture while the caramel melts into a rich sauce when inverted. This traditional Italian dessert is made with simple ingredients and can be prepared ahead-of-time.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- round bundt pan (Can also use about 8- 6 oz ramekins)
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups whole milk 1 liter
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams, (divided)
- 6 large whole eggs room temperature
- 1 vanilla bean cut lengthwise with the seeds scraped out OR 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 pieces lemon peel cut lemon skin just the yellow part, or 1 teaspoon lemon zest.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉
- For the caramel, in a stainless small saucepan add 1/2 cup of sugar. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When the sugar is completely dissolved, bring it to a boil without stirring until the color turns dark caramel brown. Quickly pour the caramel into the bottom of the bundt pan (or 6 ramekins) to coat all the sides. Set aside.
- Add the milk and lemon peel to a separate medium saucepan. Heat on medium-low heat until just hot, (not boiling!!). Then remove it from the heat.
- Beat the eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar until well combined. Slowly whisk the egg mixture in the warm milk, a ladleful at a time until completely incorporated into the eggs. Whisk in the salt and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- Pour the entire custard mixture through a sieve (mesh strainer) into a large bowl. You can put lemon peel back into the creme mixture and bake with it or discard it at this point. Pour the mixture into the bottom of the pan or individual ramekins lined with caramel. Place bundt pan or ramekins in an oven-safe dish or roasting pan.
- Very carefully pour 2-3 cups boiling hot water into the bottom of the roasting pan (it should reach halfway up the side of the baking dish), avoiding splashing or pouring into the creme mixture. Place in the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour for the bundt pan and 30-35 minutes for the ramekins until the center jiggles just a little bit. Remove the roasting pan from the oven.
- Allow to cool slightly and then wrap with the bundt pan or ramekins with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- When ready to serve gently run a butter knife near the edges just enough to loosen the flan and tip upside down onto a flat plate. Watch the caramel sauce pour out onto the plate. Yum. Enjoy!
Notes
- Warm the milk, but don't boil it. Hot milk can cook the eggs when the two mixtures are combined.
- Temper the eggs gradually. Add the warm milk a little at a time while whisking constantly to prevent scrambled egg pieces.
- Strain the custard. This removes any small bits of cooked egg and helps create a silky texture.
- Use a gentle water bath. The water should be hot but not aggressively boiling when you begin baking.
- Don't overbake. The center should still have a slight jiggle when the custard is ready.
- Chill before unmolding. A thoroughly chilled custard is much easier to turn out cleanly.
Nutrition
Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 207mg | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 329mg | Fiber: 0.03g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 550IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 241mg | Iron: 1mg
