Cannelés de Bordeaux (2024)

Cannelés - sometimes spelled Canelés - are a classic French pastry that has a deliciously crispy caramelised exterior and soft baked custard centre. These little cakes are packed with fresh Vanilla flavours and a touch of Rum.

Why we love this recipe

There is something SO irresistible about these Cannelés Bordelais. They have an incredible contrasting texture with the crispy crust and silky, soft custardy interior. The combination of fresh vanilla and spiced rum creates an unforgettable flavour.

Enjoy them while still slightly warm as an every day treat and trust me - you won't be able to stop at one!

What are Cannelés (or Canelés)

Cannelés or Canelés (pronounced "kan-lay") are a traditional pastry from the region of Bordeaux in France. They have a distinctive cylinder shape with a slight depression on top. These cakes are baked at high temperature for a long time, giving them a crispy caramelised exterior with a super soft interior.

Ingredients

What are Canneles made off (scroll down to recipe card below for all quantities):

• Milk: use Full Cream / Whole Milk for the best flavours and texture. That is a milk that has at least 3 to 4% fat in it.

• Butter: unsalted. It will get melted straight away so no need to let it come back to room temperature.

• Vanilla: Canneles is one of those recipes that is really worth using real fresh vanilla bean for. The second best option if you don't have fresh vanilla is vanilla paste. You will really loose in flavour if you use vanilla extract or essence.

• Eggs: a mix of whole eggs and egg yolks only. Make sure they are at room temperature. Keep the egg whites for another recipe.

• Sugar: Caster Sugar or Fine White granulated sugar.

• Flour + Salt: Plain / All-Purpose Flour, preferably sifted. Pastry flour will work too. The salt is a fine table salt.

• Rum: I recommend using a spiced rum or dark rum for extra flavour. You can discard it if preferred.

How to make Cannelés

The best way to make canneles is over two days, as the flavours in the batter will really develop while it rests in the fridge overnight (or 24 hours). The first day, start preparing the batter.

• Photo 1: Place the Milk, Butter and Vanilla in a small saucepan. To get the vanilla out of the pod, slice it in half lengthways and gently scrape the seeds with a small knife. Put both the seeds and the pod in the milk.

• Turn on low heat and bring to a simmer (no need to boil here), occasionally stirring. Turn off the heat, cover the saucepan with a lid and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes to let the vanilla infuse in the milk. Remove the vanilla pod.

• Photo 2: in the meantime, place the Eggs, Egg Yolks and Sugar in a heat-proof mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.

• Photo 3: Stir in the sifted Flour and Salt.

• Photo 4: lastly, whisk in the Rum. You should get a smooth, light batter.

• Photo 5: pour the warm milk over the egg mixture while stirring. Whisk well. The batter will appear to be quite liquid, that's normal!

• Photo 6: Cover the cannele batter with plastic wrap touching its surface and put in the fridge to rest overnight.

You will get the best flavours and texture by resting the batter for a long time - up to 24 hours.

On the second day:

• Take the mixture out of the fridge, whisk it for a few seconds to insure all the ingredients are evenly distributed in the batter and let it come back to room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

• Preheat your oven on 215 degree Celsius / 420 degree Fahrenheit.

• Photo 7: Using a pastry brush, brush the mold with soft butter. You want to make sure the mold is evenly coated to insure the cakes come out easily once baked.

• Photo 8: Pour it into the prepared pan to fill about 3/4 of the mold. Make sure not to fill it completely as the pastries will rise in the oven.

• Bake for 20 minutes, them reduce the heat to 180 degree Celsius / 350 degree Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes. The top should look well caramelised.

• Take out of the oven, place on a cooling rack for 5 minutes then carefully flip over to take the cannelés out of the pan. There could be some hot butter dripping out so be careful. Let the cakes cool down to room temperature before serving them.

Recipe FAQs

Tips for Success

• Resting the mixture in the fridge overnight (or preferably 24 hours) will really help develop the flavours and create a super soft texture. Don't skip that step! Plus, it means that you can prepared them in advance as well.

• Butter the mold well, using a pastry brush or by placing a little bit of soft butter on a paper towel (or go straight with your fingers!). Not only it helps the cannelés come out of the pan easily, it is also essential to create that delicious caramelised, crispy shell.

• The exact baking time and heat might vary based on the type of pan you use and your oven. Always start with a higher heat to create the crispy shell, then drop the temperature to allow for the custard centre to bake fully.

• Let the canneles come back to room temperature before eating them. Slicing them when still hot will make the interior of the cake deflate, making them less airy and more dense.

Storing & Freezing

Canneles are best eaten straight away while still slightly warm, or within 24 hours. Store them at room temperature in an air-tight container in the meantime; they will turn soggy more quickly in the fridge.

They are safe to be eaten for a few days but the crust will start to get softer so you will loose the crunchiness. After 24 hours, you might want to re-heat them up in the oven for 5 minutes.

Although canneles can be frozen, I personally only recommend to serve them fresh for the best texture. If frozen, allow to thaw at room temperature then place back in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to re-crisp the shell.

Recipe

More Small Cakes Recipes