Crème Brûlée Cake

Your classic crème brûlée dessert just got even better with this irresistible vanilla crème brûlée cake! This eye-catching dessert is made with a light and spongy vanilla cake base, topped with a creamy homemade vanilla pastry cream, and then brought to life with a caramelized layer of crunchy burnt sugar. It will quickly become one of your favorites!

Best Crème Brûlée Cake Recipe

You no longer have to wonder where to buy creme brulee cake because, in less than 90 minutes, you can make it from the comfort of your kitchen! This creme brulee cake recipe isn't just simple to make, but it is hands down one of the most delicious ones you'll try.

I use the best combination of ingredients and techniques for the creamiest, fluffiest sponge cake texture and delightfully sweet flavor. You also won't have to make any special trips to the grocery store – all these creme brulee cake ingredients are essential pantry items that you likely already have at home!

This easy-to-follow guide is simple enough for beginners to follow and have the best baking experience the first time around. Even experienced bakers will walk away with expert tips and tricks that will leave your family and friends begging for more!

Make The Vanilla Sponge Cake Batter

Begin by preheating the oven to 165°C / 330°F and lining your baking pan with parchment paper. I used a 23cm / 9-inch round pan in this recipe.

To make the sponge cake batter, whisk the room-temperature yogurt (preferably thick Greek or Turkish style), room-temperature eggs, sugar, and oil. For the moistest cake texture, use superfine sugar (sometimes called caster sugar) and good-quality cooking oil with a neutral taste. I recommend using vegetable oil. Once blended, add the pure vanilla extract.

Combine the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl.

Sift the dry ingredients before using them to avoid lumps in the batter. Don't skip the salt, as it plays a vital role in balancing the sweetness and flavors!

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.

Bake It

Pour the cake batter into the baking pan that you prepared earlier. Then, use an offset spatula to smooth the top of the batter.

Bake the cake for approximately 60-70 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean. Cover the top with aluminum foil for the second half of the baking time if the cake appears to be browning too quickly.

Allow the cake to cool completely to room temperature before frosting it.

Prepare The Pastry Cream

While waiting for the cake to cool, use a hand whisk to whisk together the sugar (plain, granulated sugar works well) and egg yolk in a large mixing bowl for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. For the best flavor and texture, ONLY use the egg yolk, not the entire egg, as some creme brulee cake recipes suggest.

Next, whisk in the cornstarch, all-purpose flour, and pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste for a vanilla bean custard) until thoroughly combined and turned into a smooth paste.

In a saucepan, bring the milk to simmer over medium heat. Once it starts to simmer, remove it from the heat—do not let it boil too hard. To temper the eggs, slowly pour the warm milk over the egg yolk mixture while whisking it vigorously.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook it over medium heat for a few minutes until it thickens. Don't worry if it gets lumpy– keep whisking; it will eventually become smooth and glossy. You can also use a strainer afterward to ensure a lump-free pastry cream.

Add the room-temperature unsalted butter, then mix with your rubber spatula until completely incorporated. I strongly recommend adding the butter in pieces and mixing well after each addition. The butter must be softened and at room temperature (but not melted) before use; otherwise, it will not incorporate into the cream properly.

Move the pastry cream to a shallow tin and cover it with plastic wrap (which helps to prevent skin from forming on the top). Then, place the tin in the refrigerator until the pastry cream cools. Once it is completely cool, you can frost the cake!

Assemble & Caramelize the Sugar on Top of the Crème Brûlée Cake

Once the cake has completely cooled to room temperature, evenly spread the chilled pastry cream over the top.

To make the brûlée top, sprinkle the top of the frosted cake with a thick layer of demerara sugar (or granulated sugar), then use a blow torch for a few seconds to caramelize the top.

After a few hours, the caramelized sugar will start to melt on top of the cake, so I suggest saving this step for when you are ready to serve it.

Storing & Freezing

I doubt you'll have anything left to save once you've tried this delectable creme brulee cake! However, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 

Since the caramelized sugar layer can lose its crunchiness over time, I suggest sprinkling it with more sugar and blow-torching it again before serving.

Flavor Variations

Instead of making a vanilla sponge cake, you can use a chocolate sponge to make a chocolate creme brulee cake or infuse it with peanut butter, like in my peanut butter cake.

Likewise, you can change the flavor of your pastry cream to other flavors such as chocolate, coffee, or hazelnut. See my pastry cream recipe for more flavor suggestions and tips.

You can even use crushed graham crackers to make a crunchy graham cracker crust on the bottom, which perfectly complements the vanilla and caramelized sugar flavor!

Should you want to turn this cake into a layered cake, make two sponges. I suggest increasing the quantity of sponge ingredients by 50% and dividing the sponges into two tins. Besides, double pastry cream can be used as a creme brulee cake filling and topping.

Ingredient Substitutions

Instead of all-purpose flour, you can use cake flour, which has a fine texture and lower protein content but still gives a light and fluffy sponge cake. For a gluten-free cake, you can replace the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour. See my flour guide for more information on the best types of flour to use in cakes and their alternatives.

If you do not have Greek or Turkish-style yogurt on hand, you can swap it out for sour cream, which has a similar creamy, silky consistency and tangy flavor.

To make this recipe egg-free or dairy-free, you can try one of these egg substitutes and use dairy-free butter and milk. However, be aware that the cake will have a different result than if you use egg and dairy products. 

Keep in mind that for any ingredient substitutions, you will need to adjust the ratios of the other ingredients in the recipe to achieve the proper balance between flavor and texture. Unfortunately, I cannot provide instructions to accommodate every diet.

Expert Tips To Make The Crème Brûlée Cake

1. The eggs, milk, yogurt, and butter must be at room temperature before starting the pastry cream recipe.
2. High-quality, high-fat ingredients are key to a moist, delicious cake and a smooth, creamy pastry cream. For the best creme brulee cake, I recommend using whole milk with 3% fat and European butter with 82% fat. Also, use the best-quality vanilla you can find.
3. It's a good idea to keep a separate, small- to medium-sized saucepan for making the pastry cream. Make sure that it is a high-quality pan that will not burn when boiling the milk.
4. When baking the cake, it is better to judge by the toothpick test rather than time. Some oven times can vary, and the last thing you want is a dry, crumbly cake that results from overbaking!
5. You want to add enough sugar to the top of the pastry cream so that you have a white layer. Keep your hand moving evenly across the top when blow-torching the sugar to prevent burnt spots.

What Equipment To Use

Always use a digital scale when measuring for the most accurate results and pleasant baking experience. Likewise, a digital oven thermometer helps to ensure the correct oven temperature, which can vary by model.

To prepare the pastry cream, you will need a hand whisk. A good rubber spatula is necessary for folding ingredients together without the risk of overmixing.

I use a 9-inch / 23 cm spring form pan to make one cake layer. However, refer to my cake pan sizes and conversions guide if you want to make different sizes.

Try Some Of My Other Cake Recipes

If you found this creme brulee cake recipe easy, you will want to try my other delicious, spongy cakes:

• Austrian Sacher Torte Cake
• Victoria Sponge Cake
• Mango Mousse Cake
• Strawberry Crunch Cake
• Mojito Pound Cake

Also, check out my roundup of the 40 best layer cake recipes for even more cake ideas!

Have You Tried This Recipe?

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