Clafoutis sits between a baked custard and a soft pancake, with cherries suspended in a lightly sweetened batter. It is supposed to settle after leaving the oven, so a lower center is not a failed rise. This version uses pitted sweet cherries and a shallow round dish, then cools before being cut into eight wedges. The recipe's timing includes that cooling interval. There is no pastry crust, powdered-sugar finish or cream topping to prepare or include in the nutrition estimate.
Cherry clafoutis makes 8 servings, with 1 hr 50 min estimated total time. View the standalone recipe page.
Weigh the cherries after removing pits
Stem and pit the cherries first, inspect for remaining fragments, then weigh the edible fruit. Buying exactly the recipe weight of unprepared cherries will leave you short after pits and stems are removed. The nutrition profile is specifically raw sweet cherries, not canned cherries in syrup or sour cherries. Spread the prepared fruit across the buttered dish so every wedge contains a reasonable share. Cherry juice released during pitting can go into the dish with the fruit. Work carefully: a hidden pit is unpleasant and can damage a tooth.
Use the specified dish depth
A nine-inch round dish about two inches deep provides space for the batter to puff while keeping the center shallow enough to cook. A smaller deep bowl changes the relationship between browned edges and the still-liquid middle. Grease the dish with the measured five grams of butter; the remaining butter belongs in the batter. Put the dish on a stable oven rack rather than balancing it close to an oven wall. If using a different material, follow its manufacturer's temperature guidance and expect that the visual browning schedule may vary.
Make a smooth batter without adding extra flour
Whisk eggs with sugar and salt, then incorporate the measured flour before gradually adding the milk, vanilla and melted butter. This order helps disperse flour before the mixture becomes very thin. Scrape around the bowl to find any flour pockets. The finished batter should pour freely around the cherries; it should not resemble cake batter. Do not add flour merely because it looks loose. The egg and flour will set during baking. Avoid tasting raw batter, since both raw eggs and uncooked flour require proper cooking.
Read the center as well as the edges
The edges can brown and puff before the middle is ready. Start checking within the card's baking window, but give the center enough time to become set with only a slight tremble. A liquid ripple means it needs longer. Insert a thermometer into batter between cherries, avoiding contact with the dish, and use the card's 175°F endpoint. A knife in that same area should not carry raw batter. Cherry juice can stain the knife red, so distinguish juicy fruit from an uncooked pale batter coating.
Let it settle before slicing
Cool for the full twenty-five minutes before cutting. The puffed edge will relax and the center may sink slightly as steam escapes; that is normal for this style of dessert. A warm wedge will be softer than a refrigerated one, but it should still show a set custardy interior. Divide the whole dish into eight equal wedges with an even distribution of cherries. Refrigerate within two hours and use within two to three days. Store covered once chilled to protect the surface from drying and absorbing refrigerator odors.
Common questions
Can I leave the cherry pits in?
This recipe is developed and weighed for pitted fruit. Keeping pits would change the edible weight and introduce a serving hazard. Remove them and inspect the fruit rather than relying on diners to find them at the table.
Why did my clafoutis sink?
Some settling is expected as the hot batter cools. A gently lowered center with a set interior is normal. A wet, flowing center instead suggests underbaking; use the temperature and batter checks rather than the height of the puff alone.
Technique & food-safety references
These primary references support the technique, safety and storage guidance. The recipe and cooking explanations are original Recipe Pinboard content.
