Custard

Name: Custard
Total time: 23 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: british
Ingredients: 300 ml Whole milk; 200 ml Double cream; 4 piece Egg yolks; 50 g Caster sugar; 2 tsp Cornflour; 1 tsp Vanilla extract

19 min · 19 min active · makes ~635 ml · Medium · British

A pourable, velvety custard made from whole milk, double cream, egg yolks, and vanilla. Rich and glossy, it sits somewhere between a pouring sauce and a light crème anglaise — substantial enough to pool warmly around a pudding yet fluid enough to coat every bite. Classic in flavour, endlessly useful at the table.

Custard

TOTAL TIME

19 min

ACTIVE TIME

19 min

QUANTITY

~635 ml

DIFFICULTY

Medium

CUISINE

British

Who’s eating

Ingredients0/6

Tools0/5

Ingredients

0/6 gathered · 4 servings

300ml

200ml

4piece

50g

2tsp

1tsp

#	Quantity	Notes	State
1	300ml	—	—
2	200ml	—	—
3	4piece	—	—
4	50g	—	—
5	2tsp	—	—
6	1tsp	—	—

Tools

5 items

Serveware

1 item

Hygiene

Wash your hands after the raw egg yolks and egg.

Procedure

17 steps

1 of 17

Add the whole milk to the saucepan

Whole milk · 300 ml

ResultWhole milkused in step 3

2 of 17

Add the double cream to the saucepan

Double cream · 200 ml

ResultDouble cream

3 of 17

Heat the whole milk and double cream

Look for

until steaming and just trembling at edges — about 5 minutes

Whole milk · step 1 Double cream · step 2

medium heat

⏱ 5 min

ResultWarm milk and creamused in step 9

4 of 17

Add the 4 egg yolks

Egg yolks · 4 piece

ResultEgg yolks

5 of 17

Wash your hands with soap — you've been handling raw egg yolks

⏱ 30s

6 of 17

Add caster sugar

Caster sugar · 50 g

ResultEgg yolks and caster sugar

7 of 17

Add cornflour

Cornflour · 2 tsp

ResultEgg yolks and caster sugar and cornflour

8 of 17

Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar and cornflour

Look for

until pale and slightly thickened — about 2 minutes

⏱ 2 min

ResultPale egg yolk mixture

9 of 17

Add the warm milk and cream from the saucepan to the bowl

pour slow steady stream while whisking constantly to temper eggs

Warm milk and cream · step 3

ResultTempered egg mixture

10 of 17

Whisk the tempered egg mixture

Look for

until fully combined and smooth — about 1 minute

⏱ 1 min

ResultSmooth tempered custard baseused in step 12

11 of 17

Wash your hands with soap — you've been handling raw egg

⏱ 30s

12 of 17

Transfer the smooth tempered custard base from the heatproof bowl into the saucepan

Smooth tempered custard base · step 10

ResultCombined custard mixture

13 of 17

Whisk the combined custard mixture

ResultWhisked whole milk

14 of 17

Simmer the whisked whole milk

Look for

until it coats the back of a spoon and reaches 82°C — do not boil — about 6 minutes; stir constantly with wooden spoon

82°C

⏱ 6 min

ResultThickened custard

15 of 17

Add the vanilla extract to the saucepan

Vanilla extract · 1 tsp

ResultEgg yolk mixture

16 of 17

Strain the egg yolk mixture

into a clean bowl

ResultStrained vanilla custard

17 of 17

Plate the strained vanilla custard from the saucepan

serve warm, or press cling film directly onto surface and chill if serving cold

Strained vanilla custard · step 16

ResultStrained vanilla custard

Total Time19 min

#	Product	Tool	Action
1	300 ml		Add the whole milk to the saucepanResultWhole milkused in step 3
2	200 ml		Add the double cream to the saucepanResultDouble cream
3	Whole milkstep 1	medium heat	Heat the whole milk and double creamLook foruntil steaming and just trembling at edges — about 5 minutes⏱ 5 minResultWarm milk and creamused in step 9
3	Double creamstep 2	medium heat
4	4 piece		Add the 4 egg yolksResultEgg yolks
5	—	—	Wash your hands with soap — you've been handling raw egg yolks⏱ 30s
6	50 g		Add caster sugarResultEgg yolks and caster sugar
7	2 tsp		Add cornflourResultEgg yolks and caster sugar and cornflour
8	—		Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar and cornflourLook foruntil pale and slightly thickened — about 2 minutes⏱ 2 minResultPale egg yolk mixture
9	Warm milk and creamroughly 1/3step 3		Add the warm milk and cream from the saucepan to the bowl → pour slow steady stream while whisking constantly to temper eggsResultTempered egg mixture
10	—		Whisk the tempered egg mixtureLook foruntil fully combined and smooth — about 1 minute⏱ 1 minResultSmooth tempered custard baseused in step 12
11	—	—	Wash your hands with soap — you've been handling raw egg⏱ 30s
12	Smooth tempered custard baseremaining cream and milkstep 10		Transfer the smooth tempered custard base from the heatproof bowl into the saucepanResultCombined custard mixture
13	—		Whisk the combined custard mixtureResultWhisked whole milk
14	—	82°C	Simmer the whisked whole milkLook foruntil it coats the back of a spoon and reaches 82°C — do not boil — about 6 minutes; stir constantly with wooden spoon⏱ 6 minResultThickened custard
15	1 tsp		Add the vanilla extract to the saucepanResultEgg yolk mixture
16	—		Strain the egg yolk mixture → into a clean bowlResultStrained vanilla custard
17	Strained vanilla custardstep 16		Plate the strained vanilla custard from the saucepan → serve warm, or press cling film directly onto surface and chill if serving coldResultStrained vanilla custard
Total Time			19 min

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated · pre-cooking · 100% ingredients covered

Nutrient	Per serving
	387kcal
	6g
	32g
	19g
	19g
	18g
	68mg

Ingredients0/6

Tools0/5

british · Recipe

Custard

HygieneWash your hands after the raw egg yolks and egg.

Serves4

Total19 min

LevelMedium

Ingredients

Whole milk300 ml
Double cream200 ml
Egg yolks4 piece
Caster sugar50 g
Cornflour2 tsp
Vanilla extract1 tsp

Tools

SieveSaucepanWhiskServing bowlHeatproof bowl

Method

Add the whole milk to the saucepan

Result · Whole milk · used in step 3

SaucepanWhole milk · 300 ml

Add the double cream to the saucepan

SaucepanDouble cream · 200 ml

Heat the whole milk and double creamLook foruntil steaming and just trembling at edges — about 5 minutes

Result · Warm milk and cream · used in step 9

medium heat5 minSaucepanWhole milk · step 1Double cream · step 2

Add the 4 egg yolks

Heatproof bowlEgg yolks · 4 piece

Add caster sugar

Heatproof bowlCaster sugar · 50 g

Add cornflour

Heatproof bowlCornflour · 2 tsp

Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar and cornflourLook foruntil pale and slightly thickened — about 2 minutes

2 minWhisk

Add the warm milk and cream from the saucepan to the bowl → pour slow steady stream while whisking constantly to temper eggs

Heatproof bowlWarm milk and cream · step 3 · roughly 1/3

Whisk the tempered egg mixtureLook foruntil fully combined and smooth — about 1 minute

Result · Smooth tempered custard base · used in step 12

1 minWhisk

Transfer the smooth tempered custard base from the heatproof bowl into the saucepan

SaucepanSmooth tempered custard base · step 10 · remaining cream and milk

Whisk the combined custard mixture

Whisk

Simmer the whisked whole milkLook foruntil it coats the back of a spoon and reaches 82°C — do not boil — about 6 minutes; stir constantly with wooden spoon

82°C6 minSaucepan

Add the vanilla extract to the saucepan

SaucepanVanilla extract · 1 tsp

Strain the egg yolk mixture → into a clean bowl

Sieve

Plate the strained vanilla custard from the saucepan → serve warm, or press cling film directly onto surface and chill if serving cold

Result · Strained vanilla custard

Serving bowlStrained vanilla custard · step 16

Printed 3 September 2026