Canelés—the tiny cakes originating from the Bordeaux region of France—are unlike any other cake out there.
A dark, caramelized exterior encrusts a dense, eggy, rum-infused interior in these magnificent (and addictive) two-bite wonders. They also happen to be hand-holdable and elegant, making them perfect for entertaining.
Most recipes require a 3-day process of letting the batter rest to properly remove all air (which helps to eliminate all superfluous air in the batter). Now, I don’t know about you, but I do not have three days to devote to making cakes. I have things to do! So, naturally, I devised a short-cut.
There are two tricks to making these Canelés work:
- First, stir the batter as minimally as possible. I use a whisk to break up pieces of sugar and flour in the batter, but not to incorporate air.
- Also, I only fill the molds up half-way, which helps to prevent them from puffing up and over-flowing in the oven.
These are by no means old-school, traditional Canelés, but they are every bit as delicious. Serve them on a pretty platter with flutes of cold Champagne or Prosecco. Bon appetit!
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