French Apple Clafoutis

A tender French-style apple clafoutis with caramelised apple slices baked in a lightly sweet vanilla custard batter.

Jump to ingredients | Jump to method

Clafoutis is traditionally associated with cherries, but apples make a warm, family-friendly variation. The batter is intentionally soft and custardy rather than cake-like.

Ingredients

• 3 apples (peeled, cored and cut into 1 cm slices)
• 35 g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 eggs (large)
• 80 g caster sugar
• 80 g plain flour
• 300 ml whole milk
• 80 ml double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 0.25 tsp fine salt
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp icing sugar (for serving, optional)

Step-by-step method

1. Heat the oven to 190°C conventional or 170°C fan. Butter a 24 cm shallow baking dish and place it on a baking tray so it is easy to move once filled.
2. Melt 20 g butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the apples, brown sugar and cinnamon and cook for 5–7 minutes until the edges soften but the slices still hold their shape.
3. Arrange the warm apple slices evenly in the prepared baking dish. Any buttery juices from the pan can be spooned over them.
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and caster sugar for about 1 minute until combined and slightly lighter. Whisk in the flour and salt until no dry pockets remain.
5. Slowly add the milk, cream and vanilla while whisking continuously. The finished batter should be thin, similar to pancake batter, with only a light foam on top.
6. Pour the batter carefully around and over the apples. Dot the remaining butter over the surface in small pieces.
7. Bake for 35–40 minutes until puffed around the edges, golden on top and just set in the centre. A slight wobble in the middle is fine because it will continue setting as it cools.
8. Rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. Dust lightly with icing sugar if desired and serve warm or at room temperature rather than piping hot.