Canelés, once a rare find in Los Angeles, have nearly become as ubiquitous as avocado toast. Hailing from Bordeaux, the canelé is notoriously difficult to master and this is evident from the number of pale and soggy confections being hawked by bakeries all over town. A perfect canelé, baked in a copper mold lined with clarified butter and beeswax, comprises of a custardy vanilla and rum flavored center that is enclosed by a dark and crunchy caramelized crust. The following are our top five places in LA to score one of these fickle treats.
Petit Trois Le Valley
It comes as little surprise that some of the best canelés in LA can be found at the French hot spot Petit Trois Le Valley. At Ludo Lefebvre’s most recent opening and largest restaurant to date, Pastry Chef Rachel De Jong has put together a fine pastry selection that includes beignets, chocolate croissants, and baked to order madeleines. Our favorite item just might be the canelés with a dangerously dark crust and extraordinarily soft custard-like interior.
Proof Bakery
Proof Bakery is home to some of the most phenomenal pastries in LA so it’s no surprise that the canelés at the Atwater bakery are some of the best we’ve ever had. At Proof, canelés are baked in the traditional copper molds lined with beeswax and butter, resulting in the sought-after tender centers and thick caramelized crusts that make the confection so great.
Republique
It’s hard to pick favorites from the stellar pastry case at Republique but if pressed to do so, the canelé would definitely make our short list. At Republique, the crust of the pastry dangerously toes the line between caramelized and burnt while the interior had the pleasantly creamy, custard-like texture we love so much.
CanneLA
Available for delivery or pick up in Hollywood, these canelés are homemade every day by Gaël, a French entrepreneur with a penchant for pastries! CanneLA offers boxes of 6 or 12 canelés, including some orange blossom ones which taste just like the South of France…
This review was written by In The Loup contributor Ash Narayan