Rhubarb Clafoutis

By
Caroline Russock
Caroline Russock is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Caroline Russock
Caroline Russock is a writer who splits her time between Philadelphia and the Caribbean covering food, travel, leisure, lifestyle, and culture.  Her writing is featured in PhillyVoice, Eater, Eater Philly, Serious Eats, and The Tasting Table. 
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Updated August 30, 2018
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Caroline Russock

While most fruit-centric desserts require a little bit of pastry making (think pies and tarts), a skill that some of us haven't yet perfected, a clafoutis is the prefect dessert for pastry novices. There's no kneading, rolling, cutting, or crimping—It's a dead simple cake that requires nothing more than a little measuring and stirring, basically a custard batter fortified with a bit of flour.

The classic French version is studded with cherries, but the same recipe could be used for nearly any spring or summer fruit. This Rhubarb Clafoutis from River Cottage Every Day by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall begins with stalks of rhubarb briefly roasted with orange juice and cinnamon. Once cooled and arranged in a baking pan, an eggy batter is poured over them and the cake is baked until slightly browned and puffy.

Fearnley-Whittingstall recommends eating the clafoutis warm, but I prefer it cooled to room temperature and served with a dollop of barely sweetened cream. It has a lovely consistency—somewhere in between a cake and custard with little bites of sweet-sour rhubarb running through it.

Adapted from River Cottage Every Day by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Copyright © 2009. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.

Recipe Details

Rhubarb Clafoutis

Active 30 mins
Total 60 mins
Serves 6 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound rhubarb

  • A little ground cinnamon (optional)

  • Grated zest of 1/2 orange and the juice of the whole fruit

  • 1 cup superfine sugar

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

  • A pinch of sea salt

  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

  2. Cut the rhubarb into 2-inch lengths and put in a baking pan with a good pinch of cinnamon, if using, the orange juice, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Toss well and roast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender and just beginning to caramelize around the edges. Let cool completely and then drain in a sieve.

  3. Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F. Lightly butter a 10-inch round baking dish or an 8-by-10-inch rectangular one. Make the batter by sifting the salt and flour into a bowl and stirring in the sugar. Make a well in the center and add the beaten eggs. Gradually stir in the flour from the sides, mixing well, then beat in the milk, a little at a time, mixing well. Stir in orange zest and a pinch of cinnamon, if you like.

  4. Arrange the drained rhubarb in the buttered dish and pour the batter over. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and puffed up. Clafoutis is best when eaten warm, but it's not bad when cold, either. When you are just about to serve, mix together about 1/2 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, if you like, then sift a light dusting over the top of the clafoutis. Serve with or without cream.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
235Calories
4gFat
45gCarbs
6gProtein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories235
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g5%
Saturated Fat 2g8%
Cholesterol 97mg32%
Sodium 79mg3%
Total Carbohydrate 45g16%
Dietary Fiber 2g6%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 11mg56%
Calcium 127mg10%
Iron 1mg5%
Potassium 335mg7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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