Ingredients

   
340g milk
38g heavy cream
45g butter
1 vanilla bean (or 8g vanilla extract)
170g granulated sugar
2g fleur de sel
1 whole egg (~50g)
2 egg yolks (~36g)
40g aged rum
85g AP flour
15g cornstarch
  Nonstick spray (or beeswax) for molds

Steps

  1. In a pot, combine milk, cream, butter, and vanilla. Heat to 175°F — do not boil. Remove from heat. Let infuse 5 minutes.

  2. In a bowl, whisk sugar, salt, eggs, and yolks together.

  3. Slowly pour about ¼ of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper. Sift in flour and cornstarch together, whisk until smooth.

  4. Gradually add the remaining milk, whisking until fully combined. Stir in rum.

  5. Strain through a sieve. Refrigerate overnight (24 hours minimum).

  6. Coat canelé molds with nonstick spray (beeswax also works but isn’t needed here). Stir rested batter gently. Strain again if lumpy.

  7. Preheat oven to 525°F. Fill each mold with 70g of batter.

  8. Bake at 525°F for 11 minutes. Without opening the oven, drop to 375°F and continue baking for 50–55 minutes.

  9. Unmold immediately onto a cooling rack upside down. Cool 2 hours. Eat the same day.

Analysis

Total batter weight: 821g (excludes mold coating)

Component Amount %
Structure solids (flour + cornstarch) 100g 12.2%
Fat (butter, cream, milk, yolk) 79g 9.6%
Sugar (added + milk lactose) 188g 22.9%
Liquid (milk, cream, rum, egg water) 421g 51.3%
Egg/protein 25g 3.0%

Structure at 12.2% lands inside the custardy sweet spot (8–14%) — softer and more pudding-like than the cakey canelé’s 16.8%. The cornstarch share of that structure sets the custard without gluten, so it stays tender. Fat near 10% keeps it rich.

Notes

  • A soft, custardy canelé — lower flour and a touch of cornstarch for a tender, pudding-like interior. Makes ~12. For a firmer, more cake-textured version (and a full ~24 batch), see the Cakey Canelé.
  • Lower flour (85g) plus 15g cornstarch puts total starch at ~12% of batter (vs ~17% in the cakey version) for a soft, very custardy interior — well clear of cakey.
  • The cornstarch sets the custard without forming gluten, so it firms gently rather than toughening. At 12% total this is about as custardy as you can go and still unmold.
  • All-flour (traditional): classic Bordeaux canelés use no cornstarch — just wheat flour. For the canonical, slightly chewier/denser interior, swap to 100g AP flour, 0 cornstarch (keeps structure at ~12%). The cornstarch here is a deliberate tweak toward a softer, more custardy crumb, not a requirement; use it only if you prefer that texture over the traditional chew.
  • The high-heat start prevents mushrooming — this lower-solids batter needs a hotter shock (525°F) than the chocolate canelés to set the shell fast.
  • Nonstick spray works fine here — no beeswax needed. Just spray the molds before filling.
  • Tested bake: 525°F for 11 minutes, then 375°F for 50–55 minutes. Turns out well.
  • If it comes out too soft to unmold cleanly, bump flour to 100g next time.
  • Gluten-free: canelés barely rely on gluten — structure comes from egg and starch, and the long rest exists mainly to relax gluten — so they convert cleanly, and GF versions are well documented. Swap the AP flour 1:1 for fine white rice flour (the cornstarch is already gluten-free); no xanthan gum needed (a canelé doesn’t want stretch, and gums turn it gummy). Bakers report rice flour bakes a touch chewier/mochi-like, and since there’s no gluten to relax you can shorten or skip the long rest. For a more tender, nutty crumb instead, almond flour is a proven alternative. Use a fine grind so it isn’t gritty; the shell still crisps and browns normally.
  • Same flavor variations apply: matcha/hojicha (12g), coffee (5g instant espresso paste).