Name: Old-Fashioned Rice Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 2 people
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 200 g ofshort-grain rice (or dessert rice); 1 liter ofwhole milk; 120 g ofbrown sugar (or light brown sugar, or muscovado sugar for more flavor); 1 pod ofvanilla; 3 eggs; apricot jam; 75 g ofsugar; 25 g ofwater (equal to one-third of the total weight of sugar); flan mold; baking dish (with high sides (or casserole))

desserts cakes cooking for kids cooking in a double boiler traditional cuisine

Updated on 19 July 2025 by

falbala

6 reviews 4 : Very good

Level

Easy

Preparation

30 minutes

Cooking

45 minutes

Here is the recipe for old-fashioned rice pudding (also known as rice au lait). It’s a caramelized, melt-in-your-mouth dessert that our dear grandma used to make for us, and which we absolutely loved at snack time.

Every time I make this rice pudding, I’m transported back to the unforgettable taste of melt-in-your-mouth rice cooked in rich whole milk, flavored with vanilla and apricot jam. To make it even more indulgent and irresistible, the bottom of the cake is coated with a delicious caramel.

Gently baked in a water bath, this rice cake becomes soft and creamy. My grandmother’s secret is that little touch of apricot jam, which gives it its fruity flavor and an extra touch of indulgence.

You can enjoy this rice cake either warm or cold. It’s a real treat that will appeal to both kids and adults alike!

Enjoy, and thank you in advance for your comments!

For

people

Add to shopping list

For the cake
200 g of short-grain rice or dessert rice
1 liter of whole milk
120 g of brown sugar or light brown sugar, or muscovado sugar for more flavor
1 pod of vanilla
3 eggs
apricot jam

For the caramel
75 g of sugar
25 g of water equal to one-third of the total weight of sugar

Kitchen utensils
flan mold
baking dish with high sides (or casserole)

1
In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil with the brown sugar and the split vanilla bean.
Add the rice and cook for the recommended time (about 30 minutes).
2
Once the rice has cooled, add the egg yolks (set the whites aside!) and the apricot jam.
3
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form (I add a pinch of salt to help). Gently
fold the beaten egg whites into the mixture.
Making the caramel
- 4
  Prepare the caramel using the amount of sugar listed in the "Caramel" section of the ingredients.
  If you're not used to making caramel, you can refer to the article My Foolproof Caramel.
- 5
  Spread the caramel over the bottom of the flan mold.
  Pour the rice cake batter into the mold.
- 6
  Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  Pour boiling water into a deep baking dish and place the flan mold inside. The flan mixture should be completely surrounded by water.
  Bake for 45 minutes.
- 7
  Once it's done baking, let the cake cool outside the oven and the water bath... you're in for a treat!