Preparation

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
• Make the pastry cream filling following the instructions in this post. NOTE: I recommend making this a day in advance.
• In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Slowly whisk in the cream.
• Pour in the milk and whisk well. Add egg yolks one at a time, whisking evenly.
• Add the vanilla seeds to the pot and the scraped bean/pod.
• Heat over medium-low, whisking constantly until it thickens. Transfer immediately to a bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
• In a large bowl, beat softened butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.
• Whisk together milk and oil. Gradually mix into the butter mixture.
• Divide batter among muffin cups, filling two-thirds full, and bake for 18-20 minutes.
• Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
• Cut out a small cone in the center of each cupcake and fill with custard.
• Dip the tops in sugar and flame with a kitchen torch until caramelized.
• Serve immediately.