Crème brûlée depends on contrast: a cold, delicate baked custard underneath a thin brittle caramel layer. If either element becomes heavy, the dessert loses that contrast.

What to do in practice

  • Gentle heat limits curdling and bubbles in the custard.
  • A water bath moderates heat around the ramekins.
  • The sugar crust should be thin enough to crack cleanly.

If it is going wrong, check these first

  • Overbaking until the custard becomes firm and grainy
  • Creating a thick burnt sugar layer
  • Torching too early and refrigerating the caramel until it softens