Creme Brûlée Cake – Layers of vanilla bean cake baked on a graham cracker crust, filled with vanilla bean custard and covered in a vanilla bean buttercream.
Creme Brûlée Cake
So let’s get right to it and start talking about this Creme Brûlée Cake! The idea for this was prompted by my friend Metta and her husband Clair. Metta loves creme brûlée and Clair has been begging me to “torch” a cake since I met him a few years ago. Good news for both of them, this cake covers both of those things!
Graham Cracker Crust
I know a traditional creme brûlée doesn’t have any kind of crust, but I’ve had one before that used a graham cracker crust and it was heavenly. Plus, you know how much I like a little crunch and texture in my cakes! For this cake, I used my graham cracker crust that you’ve seen in other cakes like my Ultimate S’mores Cake and my Coconut Key Lime Pie Cake. The one difference in this recipe is that I added a little instant coffee to it. Now, that’s totally optional, but I promise you, the hint of coffee flavoring paired with the vanilla bean is out-of-this-world incredible! If you don’t drink coffee for religious reasons (which is me), you can use decaf coffee granules, a coffee flavored extract or Pero, a coffee substitute. I just think you’ll love the flavor balance it brings to the cake.
How to Stack a Cake with a Soft Filling
Similar to other cakes I’ve made, my Creme Brûlée Cake has a soft filling and needs to be assembled properly so you don’t end up with a giant mess and tears running down your face (been there, done that – here to make sure you don’t).
To begin, place your cake layer, top side up, on a cake board or cake plate. Using a piping bag, you’ll then pipe a rim around the edge of the cake layer. 
Pour about 1 cup of the vanilla bean custard on top of the cake layer. 
Using an offset icing spatula, evenly and gently spread the filling out over the cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top of the filling and repeat steps 1 and 2. Place the final cake layer, also top side up, on the second layer of filling. Apply a thin layer of vanilla bean buttercream around the entire cake. This becomes your crumb coat.
After you’ve applied your crumb coat, freeze your cake for about 15 minutes.
How to Decorate the Creme Brulee Cake
Continue frosting your cake with the remaining vanilla buttercream. Once you’ve done this, freeze your cake for another 15 minutes.
When the cake is chilled, sprinkle on an even layer of granulated sugar. This should be thick enough that you don’t see the frosting, but nothing more than about 1/8th of an inch. Using a kitchen torch, heat the sugar until it browns and crystalizes. I have a basic, kind of small kitchen torch. It took a bit of time, but did the job just fine. When I make this again next month for my sister’s baby shower, I’m going to try a stronger, more powerful torch to see if I can get it to cook a little better.
Storing the Creme Brûlée Cake
Once you’ve finished decorating the cake, and if you plan to serve it the same day, store it in an airtight container or cake box in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. If you’re making the cake several days in advance, don’t add the brûléed sugar and store in the freezer.
How to Make Homemade Custard
This custard filling is incredibly delicious and not hard to make if you follow the instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Place an 8″x8″ baking pan in a 9″x13″ baking pan. You’ll be adding water to the larger pan later to create a bath for the custard to cook in – so you’re looking for a pan that is larger than the baking pan that you’ll have the custard in.
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the heavy cream with the vanilla bean paste and the sugar. Turn the stove to medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- After the cream has steeped, stir in the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Slowly add about ¼ cup of the heavy cream mixture to the egg yolks, whisking continuously while you do so. This is how you temper the eggs. Once the eggs are tempered, slowly add the egg mixture to the remaining cream, stirring continuously while doing so.
- Strain the custard through a mesh strainer and then pour the strained custard into your 8″x8″ baking pan. Carefully pour hot water into the larger baking pan that the small baking pan is sitting in. You want enough water to go about half way up the side of the baking dish.
- Bake the custard for about 45 to 50 minutes. The center should be barely set. Let cool at room temperature for 2 hours and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before using. I think the custard is best made one or two days before you’re ready to assemble the cake.
I have no doubt this cake will become one of your favorites like it has for me!
Other Cakes You’ll Love
Creme Brûlée Cake
Vanilla bean cake layers baked on a graham cracker crust with vanilla bean custard and vanilla bean buttercream.
Ingredients
FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
- 3 cups (about 360 g) finely ground graham cracker crumbs , (about 27 whole rectangular crackers)
- 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. instant coffee granules, alternatives: espresso granules, coffee extract, or coffee substitute: Pero
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 6 large egg whites, room temperature (save the extra yolks for the custard filling)
- 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tbsp. (13 g) vanilla bean paste, I use THIS
- 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
- 1 tbsp. (10 g) baking powder
- 1 tsp. (5 g) salt
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
FOR THE CUSTARD
- 2 cups (462 g) heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp. (4 g) vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 5 egg yolks, from large eggs (save the extra whites to make the cake)
- pinch of salt
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
- 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
- 1 tbsp (13 g) vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 cup (57 g) heavy whipping cream
- pinch of salt
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.
Instructions
FOR THE CRUST
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray and then line with parchment. Spray again. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and coffee granules, if using. Stir until all the graham cracker crumbs are damped by the melted butter.
- Divide evenly between the three pans (about 8 ounces in each 8-inch or 6 ounces in each 6-inch) and press down firmly with your hand or the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool while you make the cake batter.
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar for two minutes on medium-high speed.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg whites on medium speed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between addition.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla bean paste and beat until incorporated, about one minute.
- With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, followed by ½ cup of the buttermilk. Repeat the additions, ⅓ cup flour mixture, ½ cup buttermilk and the final ⅓ cup flour mixture. Only mix until the flour mixture is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for another 20 to 30 seconds on low.
- Pour about 18 ounces of cake batter into each of the three 8-inch cake pans (on top of the crust) or 13 ounces in each of the 6-inch pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes – until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. (Tip: spray your wire cooling racks with nonstick spray).
FOR THE CUSTARD
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Place an 8"x8" baking pan in a 9"x13" baking pan. You'll be adding water to the larger pan later to create a bath for the custard to cook in – so you're looking for a pan that is larger than the baking pan that you'll have the custard in.
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the heavy cream with the vanilla bean paste and the sugar. Turn the stove to medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- After the cream has steeped, stir in the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and pinch of salt. Slowly add about ¼ cup of the heavy cream mixture to the egg yolks, whisking continuously while you do so. This is how you temper the eggs. Once the eggs are tempered, slowly add the egg mixture to the remaining cream, stirring continuously while doing so.
- Strain the custard through a mesh strainer and then pour the strained custard into your 8"x8" baking pan. Carefully pour hot water into the larger baking pan that the small baking pan is sitting in. You want enough water to go about half way up the side of the baking dish.
- Bake the custard for about 45 to 50 minutes. The center should be barely set. Let cool at room temperature for 2 hours and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before using. I think the custard is best made one or two days before you're ready to assemble the cake.
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy and pale in color.
- With the mixer on slow, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream, vanilla bean paste and pinch of salt.
- Once all of the ingredients are combined, turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for a couple minutes more.
- Before using the buttercream, make sure to beat it by hand with a wooden spoon or large spatula to help push out the air pockets.
ASSEMBLY
- Level each cake layer, if needed, and then place the first cake layer, graham cracker side down, on a cake board.
- Using a piping bag, pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
- Fill the center of this area with 1 cup of the custard.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the filling and repeat steps 2 and 3.
- Place the final cake layer, graham cracker side down, on the second layer of filling. Carefully apply a thin layer of buttercream around the entire cake. This is the crumb coat. Freeze the crumb coated cake for about 15 minutes.
- Once the crumb coat is set, continue frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream.
- OPTIONAL: Freeze the cake for another 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle a layer of granulated sugar over the top of the cake and use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. Serve right away or refrigerate, covered, until you're ready to serve.
This cake was amazing!! I swapped the Graham crackers with vanilla wafers and it gave the cake another shot of vanilla flavor!🙌. One of your best cakes to date!! Thank you for sharing your recipes I have been a fan for years!!!
So glad you loved the cake and that swap sounds delish! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and for being here for so long. Appreciate you!
Did I totally miss it, or did the recipe for the custard call for a pinch of salt, but the instructions never mentioned what step to add the salt in at?
Nope, that’s my bad. I add it when I do the eggs. It’s there now.
Hi Courtney! How many people can eat from this recipe?
12-15
Oh my gosh! I made this for my husbands birthday with some minor tweaks and its was AMAZING! I used gf flour and instead of graham cracker layer I did a shortbread layer from your other recipes (also with gf flour). I also topped the cake with a salted caramel drip and made caramel sugar in a cookie sheet that I broke into small pieces to mix into the custard layer and large pieces to decorate the top of the cake. This cake was 10/10 and I’m sure would have been just as amazing as written! Thank you!