French Cherry Clafoutis with Almond and Cream Recipe
Clafoutis aux Cerises is a classic French cherry dessert featuring fresh pitted cherries baked in a smooth, creamy batter made from flour, ground almonds, cream, eggs, and sugar. Topped with butter, demerara sugar, and flaked almonds, this delightful dish is golden and puffed when baked, offering a perfectly balanced texture that is delicious served warm or chilled.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Cherries
- 400 g pitted fresh cherries
Batter
- 40 g plain flour
- 25 g ground almonds
- 50 g caster sugar
- 430 ml double cream
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Toppings and Greasing
- 1 tsp caster sugar (for greasing)
- 15 g unsalted butter (diced into small pieces, plus extra for greasing)
- 1 heaped tbsp demerara sugar
- 15 g flaked almonds
Optional
- Mascarpone or more cream (to serve)
- Icing sugar (to dust)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dish: Preheat your oven to 185°C (165°C fan). Butter a 24cm pie dish thoroughly and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of caster sugar to lightly coat the base and sides.
- Add cherries: Place the pitted fresh cherries evenly into the prepared dish, spreading them in a single layer to ensure consistent baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, ground almonds, and caster sugar, mixing well to blend all dry components.
- Make batter: Pour in the double cream, beaten eggs, and vanilla extract into the dry mix. Whisk vigorously until the batter is smooth and homogenous without lumps.
- Pour batter over cherries: Carefully pour the batter over the cherries in the pie dish. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the surface evenly.
- Add toppings: Scatter the diced unsalted butter pieces over the batter surface. Then sprinkle the heaped tablespoon of demerara sugar and the flaked almonds evenly across the top.
- Bake: Place the dish in the oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes. The clafoutis is ready when the top is puffed up and golden brown. A knife inserted into the center should come out mostly clean; the center will remain slightly wobbly which is typical.
- Rest and serve: Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes. The surface may dip slightly in the middle, which is normal. Serve warm with mascarpone or cream and a dusting of icing sugar if desired. Alternatively, cool completely, cover, and chill in the fridge before serving cold for a chewier texture.
Notes
- Make sure the cherries are pitted before adding them to the dish to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
- The clafoutis is best slightly underbaked in the center to keep its characteristic creamy texture.
- You can substitute double cream with heavy cream if unavailable, but the texture may vary slightly.
- Serving with mascarpone or additional cream adds richness and balances the tangy cherries perfectly.
- Dusting with icing sugar is optional but adds an attractive finishing touch and a slight sweetness on top.
- Leftover clafoutis can be stored in the refrigerator and enjoyed cold with a chewy texture the next day.
