In summer, I prefer the custardy cake with the curious name of clafouti to a more traditional cake batter. It traditionally features cherries but welcomes any fresh seasonal fruit, including strawberries. The lightness of the custard hits the spot whether served warm from the oven or cold from the fridge.
When made in the classic French style, the cherries are typically baked in whole and unpitted for a hint of bitter almond flavor. I prefer to remove the pits for easier eating and use almond extract and actual nuts, which also supply contrasting crunchiness.
Even though the cherries are placed in the pan first, they float to the top as the batter bakes and puffs. It’s not meant to hold its loft like a souffle. Instead, the cake collapses the moment it’s removed from the oven, but the cherries and nuts now dot the surface. The oven time toasts the thin almond slices nicely, so there’s no need to add this as a separate step.
Pitted fresh cherries weigh less than whole ones and rise more readily, and smoking cherries makes them even lighter. I make this dessert with just-smoked cherries, ones I froze and then thawed and ones stored in bourbon. If you drain them well, all versions bake neatly into the pudding cake without turning it soggy.
If this dessert inspires you to smoke cherries, sweet or tart, you can use your creations in plenty of other baked goods. Try them in scones or folded into sourdough hand pies or turnovers. Pile them into a galette, either on their own or with huckleberries or goat cheese. When baked into zucchini or rhubarb quick bread, smoked tart cherries give the loaf bursts of smoky tanginess.
Smoked Cherry Clafouti (Pudding Cake)
Serves 6-8
3 eggs
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/2 cups 2% or whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
2 cups pitted and smoked cherries or drained Bourbon-Infused Smoked Cherries
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Whisk in the flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract and 1/2 cup of milk, until the batter changes from thick and lumpy to smooth. Whisk in the remaining 1 cup of milk and the melted butter until fully incorporated and foamy.
Butter a 9-inch pie plate or 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Spread the cherries on the bottom of the pan, pour the batter over the fruit and sprinkle with the almonds. Bake at 375°F for 40 to 45 minutes, until the cake’s center has set and its edges are brown and puffy. Cool for at least five minutes before cutting. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, when serving.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger. Learn more about this month’s cocktail and sushi workshops at TwiceAsTasty.com.