Why do you bake Crème Brûlée? I've seen that you can cook Crème Brûlée on a stove's hotplate, but most recipes call for it to be baked and that is the traditional way to do it.

Why is that so? Is there some benefit to baking it or is it just tradition?

And can you cook it on a hotplate like you would any normal creme or is there a trick to it?
It needs very even heat to cook through without burning (underneath if you cook it on the hob). presumably if you cook it on the hob you need to use a bain marie and for individual ramekins this is quite specialised and large.  In the oven you can just use a roasting tin for your bain marie for several ramekins.