Description
A delightful Fresh Cherry Almond Clafoutis, a classic French pudding cake featuring a sweet almond-flavored batter topped with fresh, luscious cherries. This easy-to-make dessert is perfect warm or cold and pairs beautifully with a scoop of ice cream.
Ingredients
Cherry Layer
- 5 cups fresh sweet cherries, pitted and halved
- 1 cup sugar, divided (1/2 cup + 1/2 cup)
Cake Layer
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375ºF (190ºC) and lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray to prepare it for baking.
- Prepare the Cherry Layer: Pit and halve all the cherries. Once about half are pitted, sprinkle them with half a cup of sugar. Pit and halve the remaining cherries, sprinkle with the remaining half cup of sugar, then toss all the cherries together to evenly coat them in sugar.
- Make the Cake Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking powder until combined. To this dry mixture, add the milk, canola oil, vanilla bean paste, and almond extract. Whisk vigorously until the batter is smooth and well blended.
- Assemble the Clafoutis: Pour the cake batter into the bottom of the prepared 9×13 pan, spreading it evenly to cover the base. Though the batter may appear thin, it is the correct amount.
- Add the Cherry Layer: Evenly spoon the sugared cherries over the batter layer, spreading them out to create an even layer on top.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the cake portion comes out clean and the custard-like batter is set.
- Serve: This clafoutis is best served warm with a scoop of your favorite ice cream, though it’s also delicious served cold with ice cream.
Notes
- Using fresh, sweet cherries will give the best flavor; try to avoid overly tart varieties unless you prefer a tangier dessert.
- The batter is thinner than typical cake batters, which is normal for clafoutis.
- Canola oil is used for a neutral flavor, but you can substitute with melted butter if preferred.
- Vanilla bean paste adds a richer vanilla flavor than extract alone.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and gently reheated or served cold.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
