Originating from the Limousin region, clafoutis is a rustic dessert that combines the softness of a pudding with the intensity of fresh cherries. Its magic lies in skipping chemical leavening, relying instead on slow oven heat to achieve a creamy, golden texture.
Ingredients
How many are you cooking for?
Original recipe for 6 servings
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 150 ml whole milk
- 80 g all-purpose flour
- 400 g fresh cherries
- Unsalted butter and extra flour for the dish
Step by step
Follow the timeline: technique icon, time and temperature when relevant.
- Step 1 Prep 5 min 180 °C
Preheat your oven to 180 °C and prepare a 20 cm ceramic or cast-iron dish by greasing it thoroughly with unsalted butter and dusting it with a fine layer of flour. This step ensures even heat distribution, allowing the batter to rise gradually without collapsing. Trick: use a dark-colored dish for a deeper, crispier base.
- Step 2 Cut 5 min
Wash fresh cherries and carefully remove the pits to prevent excess moisture from weakening the batter during baking. Arrange them in a single layer at the bottom of the dish; their natural acidity will balance the sweetness perfectly. Trick: if using frozen cherries, thaw, drain, and pat them completely dry first.
- Step 3 Mix 5 min
In a large bowl, whisk three large eggs with 100 g of sugar, one teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until pale and uniform. Gradually incorporate 150 ml of room-temperature whole milk to avoid thermal shock that could break the emulsion. Trick: room-temperature ingredients guarantee a silky, lump-free batter.
- Step 4 Mix 3 min
Sift 80 g of all-purpose flour over the liquid mixture and whisk gently until smooth, avoiding overmixing to limit gluten development and keep the texture tender. Pour this uniform batter directly over the arranged cherries. Trick: sifting aerates the flour and prevents dense pockets in the final cake.
- Step 5 Oven 40 min 180 °C
Place the dish on the middle rack and bake for 40 minutes without opening the door; the dry heat will cook the batter through capillary action until it feels firm and turns golden. Trick: if the top browns too quickly, loosely tent it with aluminum foil halfway through.
- Step 6 Cool 10 min
Remove from the oven and let the clafoutis rest in the dish for 10 minutes; this resting time allows the starches to stabilize so the dessert unmolds cleanly. Dust with sifted powdered sugar right before serving and pair with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Trick: never unmold it while hot or it will crack.