Cherry Cake from Eastern France

Cherry cakes are immensely popular in Eastern France, including Alsace and its Vosges Mountains. The area is renowned for its cherry production and cherry desserts hold a pride of place in the region’s baking repertoire – specifically the famous Black Forest cake*, or this lesser-known (and far simpler) cherry cake.

* Though originating from the Black Forest region of Germany, the decadent Black Forest dessert is also considered a staple from Alsace.

The crumb of this cake is reminiscent of a Savoy cake, a classic French sponge cake, known for being exceptionally light and airy. This delicate texture is achieved by beating the egg whites separately until they form stiff peaks before gently folding them into the batter. This method incorporates ample air, resulting in the cake’s distinctive fluffiness. The combination of the light, airy batter with the juicy, sweet cherries creates a truly delicious experience!

Proof is, my husband is not a fan of cherries and simply does not care for Cherry clafoutis and such, but he actually loves this cake! So, for people who are not fans of the flan-like consistency of the clafoutis, I say this cake is a winner!

Ingredients you’ll need for this Cherry Cake

1. Eggs. 4 large eggs are required for this cake, with the eggs and yolks divided. The egg whites are beaten to a stiff peak and folded into the batter at the end, creating the signature light and airy texture of this cake. Read my tips below for beating egg whites successfully.
2. Sugar. Opt for good old plain white sugar.
3. Flour. All-purpose flour is the way to go.
4. Butter. The butter gets melted and then cooled completely before being added to the batter.
5. Cherries. Opt for fresh seasonal cherries, not frozen, preserved nor dried. I prefer Rainier, Chelan or Bing – the most popular ones in North America and readily available in the Summertime in grocery stores and on market stalls.

Audrey’s tips for perfect egg whites 

This recipe is pretty straightforward with no difficult techniques. Although I would say beating the egg whites to a stiff peak is really key here to create the cake’s signature bouncy and airy texture. So, here are some recommendations:

• Use pristine equipment. When beating the egg whites, make sure you are using a bowl and beater that are perfectly clean. Egg whites tend to refuse to whip if they encounter any residual fat or even if there are tiny amounts of egg yolk.
• Fold, don’t stir. When folding the egg whites with the batter, use a large rubber spatula and be gentle. The important thing is not to stir, but fold. In small additions, carefully place a portion of the egg whites on top of the batter and fold it in by using a flipping motion. Stop when the batter is just uniform – do not overmix. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Which variety of cherry is best for this cherry cake?

It all depends of what you prefer! Generally speaking, there are two types of cherries: sweet or sour. I personally prefer fresh sweet cherries – like Bing, Rainier, Chelan – for making this cake. They are my personal preference: they are juicy and yield a nice sweetness. But if you prefer sour cherries with a punchier acidic taste, you can opt for Montmorency or Morello. In any case, make sure you go with fresh cherries – not frozen, preserved nor dried.

Do you need to pit the cherries?

You don’t have to pit the cherries if you don’t want to or don’t have time. That being said, I personally prefer to pit them before adding them to the cake. This makes for a much better eating experience. But again, the choice is yours!

How to Store this Cherry cake?

• Chill it. After making and enjoying this cake – if you have any leftovers – you can cover it with plastic film. Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freeze it.  Once the cake is baked and completely cooled to room temp, wrap it in aluminum foil., then place it in a freezer-safe container (ie. tupperware), for up to 3 months. 

I hope you’ll love this French-style Cherry Cake recipe as much as I do. If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More French cakes to try: 

• Classic French Chocolate Moelleux Cake 
• Fresh Strawberry Moelleux Cake 
• Lemon Olive Oil Cake 
• Chestnut Cream Cake (Gâteau Ardechois)
• French Walnut Coffee Cake (Gâteau Grenoblois)
• Plum Moelleux Cake 
• Chocolate Vanilla Marble Cake (Gâteau Marbré) 
• Basque Cake with pastry cream (Gâteau Basque) 

French-style Cherry Cake (Gâteau aux cerises)

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 40 Minutes 40 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.6/5

( 5 voted )

Ingredients

4 large eggs, at room temperature, yolks and whites separated
¼ tsp salt
¾ cups (150g) sugar
6 tbsp (3/4 stick or 85g) butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup (110g) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 cup (about 225g cherries), pitted
2 tbsp (25g) sugar

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Grease an 8” or 9” circular springform pan with butter and dust with flour. Set aside.

Step 1 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar with the egg yolks, until pale and foamy. While whisking, pour in the (cooled) melted butter and vanilla extract. 

Step 2 - In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk until just incorporated.

Step 3 - In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and ¼ tsp salt to a stiff peak. With a spatula, fold about ¼ or less of the egg whites into batter just to loosen it. Fold gently and stop mixing when just uniform. In three or four more additions, fold in the rest of the egg whites. The batter should be airy.

Step 4 - Pour the batter into prepared cake pan. Drop the cherries atop, evenly spaced out. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over top.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until the cake looks golden and puffy. Transfer onto a cooling rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes and remove from the pan.

The post French-style Cherry Cake (Gâteau aux cerises) appeared first on Pardon Your French.

So if you’ve never tried to make a Cherry Clafoutis at home before, stay with me – you’ll be amazed how easy it is to prepare it!

The simplest Cherry Clafoutis Recipe 

Probably because it is so quick and simple to make, this custardy baked flan nestled with fruits is a staple among French home cooks in the Summer. It is ideal to make do with the abundance of cherries in early Summer and combines them with an eggy, almost custard-like batter, which makes for a refreshing yet comforting dessert.  

My recipe will give you the simplest version of a Cherry Clafoutis. Simple, classic, timeless. It just works wonderfully.  The clafoutis is soft and tender, just sweet enough, with bursts of juicy cherries, a puffy golden top and a satisfying chewy rim.

This  is a fabulous ending to any Summer meal, served warm or cold. You can enjoy it by the spoonful or cut it in slices just like a cake. You can leave it bare or with a light dusting of powdered sugar,  and top it with scoops of vanilla ice-cream. 

What Cherries to use for a Clafoutis? 

In France, clafoutis can be made using a variety of sour cherry known as “Griottes“, black cherries or the Bigarreau Cherry, a hard-fleshed pale cherry that is often used in baking and for the making or jams of candies.

In North America, you can use sour cherries such as Montmorency, which is from the Griotte family. If you’re worried that your cherries are too sour, use a mix of sour and sweet cherries.

I find thesweet Bing cherries great to bake with, since they are very sweet, hard-fleshed and do not release much liquid when baking. Bing Cherries are one the most commonly available sweet cherry varieties in North America. 

To pit or not to pit the cherries?

As per tradition in France, when making a Cherry Clafoutis from Limousin, you must leave the cherry pits intact for more flavor. The pits contain amygdaline, the same active chemical found in almond extract. So during the baking process, some amygdalin from the pits is released into the clafoutis batter and gives a subtle nutty note.

Skipping the cherry-pitting certainly makes the preparation for this recipe way quicker and easier too. But I feel it also makes the eating part far less enjoyable… You can choose whichever option you prefer (with pitted or un-pitted cherries).

If you opt to pit the cherries (like I usually do), slice the cherry in half, twist off one half and remove the pit from the other half with the tip of a pointy knife.

How to store this Classic French Cherry Clafoutis?

• Chill it. After making (and enjoying) this clafoutis, you can cover it with plastic film and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Don’t freeze it. I don’t recommend freezing a clafoutis. The texture is delicate, and it will likely get soggy/mushy when thawing. 

Common Questions

Can I prepare the batter ahead of time?

The batter can be prepared hours, up to a day ahead, kept well sealed in the fridge.

Can this recipe be made using other fruits?

While it wouldn’t be traditional, you can absolutely made this recipe using other fruits such as apricots, raspberries or strawberries. Even apple or pear could work well! Just know that when a clafoutis is made with another fruit than cherry, traditionnally in France it is called a “Flaugnarde”. 

Can I use frozen fruits for this recipe?

Tricky question! Frozen cherries typically work for this recipe, but I always thaw and allow them to “drain” on paper towels before using them. Fruits such as strawberries and raspberries typically turn to mush once thawed, so I would advise against their usage.

Audrey’s baking tips: 

• This recipe works for one large clafoutis : use a 8 to 9 inch circular pie dish or skillet and bake for 1 hour. For individual portions, use 8 individual (1-cup) baking dishes or ramekins and bake for 40 minutes instead. 
• Take your eggs out of the fridge 1 hour before preparing, so they warm up to room temperature.
• Make sure you use 2% or whole milk (no skimmed or fat-free). 
• This is a simple batter recipe, easily done by hand with a whisk. Although, if the batter ends up being lumpy, you can simply pass it though a fine mesh strainer to get rid of any lumps. You should have a smooth batter with a heavy cream consistency.
• I like to add 1 tablespoon of Kirsch (sour cherry liquor) to my batter to boost the cherry taste – but this is optional. 

I hope you’ll love this French Cherry Clafoutis as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More French recipes with summer fruits: 

• Strawberry Rhubarb Galette
• Apricot Flaugnarde
• Peach Blueberry Galette
• Apricot Frangipane Tart 
• Plum Moelleux Cake 
• Strawberry Flaugnarde
• Classic French Fruit Tart 
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
• Raspberry Pistachio Tart 

Classic French Cherry Clafoutis

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour 1 hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.3/5

( 59 voted )

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
1 1/4 cup (312.5ml) milk (2% or whole)
2/3 cup (132g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tbsp (15ml) vanilla extract
optional: 1 tbsp (15ml) kirsh
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 (62.5g) cup all-purpose flour
3 cups cherries, pitted or unpitted

Powdered sugar, for serving 

Instructions

Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter generously a 8-9 inch circular pie dish or skillet (or 8 individual 1-cup baking dishes or ramequins).

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, Kirsch (optional). Add the flour and salt, and whisk until smooth.

Place the cherries at the bottom of the prepared dish (or a handful at the bottom of each individual dish). Pour batter over top.

Bake for 1 hour (or 40 minutes for individual clafoutis). The clafoutis is done when puffed and brown on the edges, and a knife plunged in the center comes out clean.

Transfer to a cooling rack. The clafoutis will deflate as it cools. 

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve warm.

 

The post Classic French Cherry Clafoutis appeared first on Pardon Your French.