Baked Pumpkin Custard (Easy Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

How to tell if pumpkin custard is done? ›

Try the Toothpick Test

The way you test a cake for doneness also works for pumpkin pie: Insert a toothpick (or a knife) near the center of the pie and, if it comes out clean, your pie is done. If it's oh-so-close, keep in mind that the custard continues to cook as the pie cools.

There are three types of custard: baked, stirred, and frozen. Baked custards include bread pudding, flan, and cheesecake, and are prepared by baking in an oven or water bath. Boiled Custards include beverages like eggnog. Puddings, creme anglaise (krem on-GLAYZ), and pastry cream are some examples of stirred custards.

However if the proteins are overcooked, either by using a temperature that is too high or just cooking for too long, then the proteins will come together so tightly that they will start to squeeze out water and this causes the weeping in an egg custard (or the scientific term for this is syneresis).

Here's how to avoid one of the worst kitchen mishaps: overcooking. Egg-based puddings and custards can curdle if cooked beyond 185 degrees. We take crème anglaise off the heat when the mixture registers 175 to 180, but when making the base for ice cream we push the temperature to 180 to 185 for maximum thickness.

Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Stirring distributes the heat so the custard doesn't become too hot, which can curdle it. Draw a finger across the back of the spoon and if it leaves a trail, your custard is ready.

The custard may still jiggle slightly, but the top should no longer be liquid. It should feel firm (spongy but set) when lightly touched; and when a toothpick or skewer is inserted down into the custard at the edge of the cup, it should come out clean. Otherwise, keep baking and checking.

The main difference between the two is that creme brulee is topped with a layer of sugar that caramelizes under a broiler or torch, resulting in a crunchy, burnt sugar topping. Egg custard does not have this additional layer of sugar, but some recipes call for a dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon.

Flan, or crème caramel, is a custard baked in a dish coated with caramelized sugar that forms a sauce when the custard is unmolded. For crème brûlée, the baked custard is sprinkled with sugar that is caramelized under a broiler or with a hot iron called a salamander. The sugar forms a thin crisp shell over the custard.

The most common mistake people make with custards is that they tend to overcook them. Custards need to come out of the oven just before they're completely cooked because they will continue baking even after you take them out of the oven.

Can you over bake custard? ›

The highest oven temperature you'll see in a custard pie recipe is 375ºF—any higher than that and you run the risk of curdling.

Brands vary, but vanilla ice-cream typically has about 10 per cent more calories than custard, as well as twice the saturated fat, less protein and half the calcium and potassium. However, ice-cream usually has less sugar and salt, too.

The custard is cooked over a low heat for about 10 minutes, until it thickens slightly. All egg-based custards can curdle if they are cooked for too long, or at a high temperature. A low temperature and constant stirring are important to prevent the custard from curdling.

Custard might be of Roman origin, but very popular in England in the Middle Ages as 'custard in pastry' aka Custard Tart, and is the origin of the English word 'custard'.

If you notice liquid on the top of your pie while it's still in the oven or still hot, then it has been overbaked. Just as above, the proteins in the custard have toughened too much, squeezing out the liquid from the filling.

You'll know your custard has scrambled once the mixture turns lumpy. This often happens as a result of overheating your liquid. But while curdled custard may seem like a lost cause, it doesn't have to be.

It is very normal for pumpkin pie filling to be runny prior to baking it. That will all change soon as the heat from your oven cooks up the ingredients to delicious perfection!

But when you overcook a custard, suddenly the connection is very, very clear. A nasty eggy taste takes up residence and won't go away. That's likely the result of heat breaking down the protein components cysteine and methionine to release sulphur, says Crosby.