Heavy cream, 34% fat

Cream at about 34 percent milk fat. German Schlagsahne is usually 30 to 32 percent, so 34 percent often means a richer line or a blend with Crème double. In a baked custard the fat is a diluent, not a structure. Fat globules interrupt the egg protein network, which is what makes crème brûlée spoonable where crème caramel holds a cut edge. Lower fat at the same yolk ratio therefore sets firmer, not looser. The fat is also the store for aroma. Vanillin and most of the supporting vanilla compounds are lipophilic, so butterfat absorbs them during infusion, shields them during the bake and releases them slowly on the palate.