Easy clafoutis recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. This classic French baked custard cake is full of fresh cherries and berries of your choice. As for the texture, it's dense, rich and creamy and tastes like a cross between a baked Dutch baby pancake and a flan. This dessert puffs up dramatically as it bakes and deflates as it cools.
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This is one of those treats that's not overly sweet but still very satisfying. It's unlike any fluffy, airy sponge cake you have ever had. Enjoy it with a dusting of powdered sugar or whipped cream for a simple yet elegant presentation. I am obsessed with this as much as my Easy French Silk Pie and these Madeleines (Mini French Butter Cakes).
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Key ingredients
- Milk- Make sure to use whole milk and not 2% or skim for maximum richness and fat content.
- Heavy cream- This adds extra creaminess.
- Butter- Make sure it's unsalted to prevent this dessert from becoming too salty.
- Sugar- Only use granulated sugar and don't replace with anything else.
- Flour- All-purpose gives the best results in this recipe.
- Fruits- These must be fresh and nor frozen. Traditionally, only cherries are used but I like to use a combination of both, cherries and raspberries.
- Extracts- Use whatever flavors you like. I prefer a combination of vanilla and almond.
- Salt- This helps to cut the sweetness.
- Eggs- Make sure they are large in size.
Variations
- Try other fresh fruits- Such as blueberries, blackberries, mixed berries, black cherries, sour cherries, strawberries, plums, apples, apricots, pears.
- Make mini sizes- By using multiple mini pans. Just know the bake time will. be shorter for these ones.
- Serve with toppings- Like dusting of powdered sugar, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, Chantilly Cream or this Easy Almond Buttercream Frosting.
- Add zests- From fresh lemon, lime or orange for a hint of citrus flavor.
- Try other extracts- Such maple, coconut, anise, lemon or even orange.
- Mix in dried herbs and spices- Like lavender, mint, rosemary, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger. These are strong flavors. Just know that a small quantity goes a long way. Don't add too much.
- Toss some white chocolate chips in the batter- Do not use semisweet, milk or dark because it won't compliment the overall flavors in this recipe.
How to make easy French clafoutis recipe from scratch?
1. Prepare batter- By mixing together milk, sugar, flour, eggs, butter, extracts, salt until smooth.
2. Spread cherries and raspberries- In greased pan.
3. Pour batter on top - Use a wooden skewer to move the berries more evenly, if needed.
4. Bake- Until golden brown and poofy.
Tips and techniques
- You must use fresh fruits- Because the frozen ones and even canned ones release too much juices during baking and lead to a soggy mess.
- If you are using a cast iron skillet- It should be 9 inches. I would suggest omitting the melted butter from the batter and spreading it in the skillet instead. Then, spread the fruits on top, followed by the batter and then bake. This will most likely bake quicker, compared to a regular stainless steel cake pan.
- Grease your pan very well- To prevent sticking and burning.
- This is easier to slice- Once it cools and the custard batter sets.
- Fruits must be patted dry after washing- This will ensure there is no additional liquid in this recipe.
- Remove all cherry pits- By using a cherry pitter. If you don't have a pitter, you can use a sturdy straw, metal piping tip or even a chopstick to push the pit out through the bottom by pressing through the top stem area.
- Don't over bake- Because that will dry out this dessert and it will also make the tops very brown. The bottom can also burn if baked for too long.
- Do not over mix the custard batter ingredients- Because the end result will be very tough and chewy.
- Mixing in blender vs. Mixing by hand with a whisk- Both methods work well.
- Heavy cream substitute- Replace that quantity with the same amount of whole milk.
Recipe FAQs
It's typically served warm or lukewarm. However, my family enjoys it at room temperature. Leftovers can be served cold but please note that it will firm up more as it cools in the fridge and thus, the texture won’t be the same as before.
This dessert puffs up a lot during baking and it's supposed to deflate as it cools. This is normal.
It's ready when the top is puffed, golden brown, and the edges are pulled away from the dish. You can also do the jiggle test, wherein you gently shake the dish and the center should be mostly set and sturdy and only have a slight jiggle rather than being "soupy." You can also lightly touch the center and it should spring back.
Storage
- Room temperature- This can stay out away from direct heat and moisture for about 3 hours.
- Refrigerate- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container for up to 3 days but please note that it will firm up more as it cools in the fridge and thus, the texture won’t be the same as before.
- Freeze- I don't recommend this as it doesn't thaw well due to the high dairy content.
- Make ahead- You can pit the cherries and prepare your ingredients in advance but since it's served warm and fresh out of the oven, you cannot make it beforehand.
More berry based desserts
- Mini Pavlova (With Whipped Cream and Berries)
- Lemon Blueberry Waffles (Fresh or Frozen Berries)
- Lemon Blueberry Pancakes (Soft and Fluffy)
- Macerated Strawberries (2 Ingredients)
- Strawberry Dump Cake (Cake Mix)
Recipe
Easy French Clafoutis (French Baked Custard)
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Whole milk Please don't replace with 2% or skim milk
- ¼ cup Heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon Butter Unsalted, Melted
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- ½ cup All-purpose flour
- 3 Eggs Large
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Almond extract
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Pitted cherries or Berries Fresh, washed, patted dry. I used a combination of cherries and raspberries
- 1 tablespoon Powdered sugar For dusting on top
Instructions
- In a blender, mix together milk, heavy cream, melted butter, sugar, flour, eggs, extracts and salt until smooth. You can also mix the ingredients together in a large bowl with a whisk. Keep aside.
- Go ahead and grease a 9 inch round pan generously with unsalted butter.
- Spread the pitted cherries and raspberries.
- Pour batter on top.
- Use a wooden skewer to move the fruits around so that they are evenly dispersed in the batter.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. You will know this is ready and done baking when it is puffed up and top is golden brown and edges are slightly pulling away and the center springs back slightly to touch.
- Remove from oven and serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar.
- For perfect slices, let it cool to room temperature first before cutting with a sharp knife. Enjoy.
Notes
- If you don't have heavy cream, replace that quantity with whole milk.
- You must use whole milk for maximum richness and creaminess.
- Do no use salted butter because it can make this dessert very salty.
- Use whatever fruits and berries you like. Just make sure they are fresh and not frozen or canned.
- Do not over bake because it will dry out this dessert.
- Don't over mix batter because that yields a tough and chewy texture.
- This is best served warm or at room temperature.
- Read additional tips and variations above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
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