6 Years of Canele Knowledge for you

A guide. A ritual. A manual for the pastry that refuses to be tamed.

PART 2

Canele, May 2025

****IN THIS ARTICLE YOU GET 4 RECIPES, TONS OF VIDEO EXAMPLES, A TROUBLESHOOTING TABLE AND 6 YEARS OF MY TIME DUMPED HERE****

What are we even doing here?

Let’s get this straight from the jump. A proper canelé is crisp and dark on the outside, almost burnt but never bitter. The inside? Velvety, custardy, smooth like a French poem whispered in your girls ear. You got no chance.

It should have:

• A deep, caramelized shell that crackles when you bite it

• A velvety, custard interior that barely holds its shape

• A perfect hollowed core (no mushroom topping, no collapse)

• Zero white patches, zero soggy bottoms, zero sadness

bshnuez

A post shared by @bshnuez

But here’s what nobody tells you- this pastry is a test. A quiet, methodical test. The kind you fail over and over again in the solitude of your kitchen at 3AM before finally—finally—getting it right. And even when you do? They last five hours. That’s your reward for three days of prep and a lifetime of learning. (might just be my personal problem)

So why bother? Why dedicate yourself to something so beautifully, impossibly stubborn?

READ PART 1 (below)

Beautifully Annoying

Canelés don’t want to be easy. They don’t bend to timelines, shortcuts, or ego. They’re a journey—one that only a few have truly lived through. (I’m being dramatic)

Too much beeswax? Mushroom top. Batter too cold? Patchy white spots. Mold not seasoned enough? Stuck. Seasoned wrong? Soggy disappointment. Baked too soon? Collapsed. Baked too late? Dry, hollow ghosts.

They’re sensitive. They have rules. But when everything hits—when the copper molds release a perfect batch—it feels like you just pulled gold from fire.

Canele Rituals

Seasoning the Molds

BeesWax + Clarified Butter Mixture