Heavy cream is sometimes used to make creme caramel.
In fact, there is no specific recipe for creme caramel, partly because the definition of caramel is confusing and partly because many recipes refer to a series of combinations of ingredients as creme caramel. Generally speaking, cream caramel is any creamy base (whipped cream, yogurt, crème fraîche, milk, or pudding) that has real caramel added or flavored with artificial caramel or brown sugar. It is often used as a filling for pies, a topping for pies or cupcakes, or as a pudding on its own. The cream can be a simple mix of pre-made ingredients or it can be similar to a cream, made with only the most basic ingredients.
Whole eggs or yolks can be added to the caramel cream to thicken it.
One of the most commonly accepted recipes for making butter involves cooking brown sugar together with butter and other ingredients such as vanilla and heavy cream. Caramel flavor is often defined as that of cooked brown sugar. This has led to some cream to caramel recipes that just consist of sour cream, brown sugar, and a bit of vanilla.
A very simple and convenient way to make caramel cream is to use imitation caramel flavoring. Generally sold in liquid form, flavoring can be incorporated into a thicker base, such as whipped cream or yogurt. This creates a dressing or pudding with a distinctive caramel flavor.
A cooked version of caramel cream can be made by heating milk or cream in a double boiler before adding brown sugar, salt and a little flour and cooking the mixture until smooth. Whole eggs or yolks are then added and the cream is boiled until thick. Once removed from the heat, butter and vanilla are added to complete the caramel. This can be used as a filling for a pie or can be made and eaten as a pudding.
A similar version of Cooked Caramel Cream can be made with milk and without eggs to create a thick yet smooth cream sauce. This sauce can be used to cover ice cream or as a topping for a cake or fruit. Cream can also be used as a homemade condiment when added to a thicker base.
Some variations of butterscotch can be made using just brown sugar and some other substance that has a rich, buttery flavor. This can include cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and buttercream frosting. Crushed brown sugar can be incorporated into these bases, forming a heavy cream that doesn’t have the same depth of flavor as real caramel, but still carries the name in some recipes.