Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Blueberry Banana Spiced Custard Cake (nutrient-dense : GAPS : primal : gluten-free : grain-free)

Custard cake (also known as clafoutis) is perfect for breakfast or brunch, and can even be dressed up for dessert. This blueberry banana version is spiced nicely with cinnamon and ginger.  The blueberries lend a sweet-tart, juicy flavor while the bananas and spices meld wonderfully together. Blueberry banana spiced custard cake can be served warm or cold, and can be topped with sweetened whipped cream for a special dessert.

Blueberry Banana Spiced Custard Cake

Serves 6 generously
  • 12 Tb (1&1/2 sticks) butter
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 Tb mild-flavored honey
  • 6 eggs, preferably from pastured hens
  • 3/4 cup sour cream  
  • 1 Tb organic vanilla extract (or use homemade)
  • 3/4 tsp organic almond extract (omit if using almond flour)
  • 1&3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1&1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • rounded 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 2 pinches ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
  • 5 Tb coconut flour* OR 1/3 cup plus 2 Tb ground crispy almonds**
  • 1 large ripe banana or 1&1/2 medium ripe bananas
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries***
  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Turn off heat, add honey, and stir a bit.
  2. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, vanilla, almond extract (if using), spices, and salt.  I like to use my immersion blender to mix it all up together, but you could certainly use a mixer instead.
  3. Add melted butter and honey to wet ingredients and mix or blend.
  4. Add almond flour OR coconut flour and blend until well-combined (or use mixer until smooth). Using the immersion blender is great because it further grinds the nut flour (which doesn't get particularly fine when I grind it in the food processor).
  5. Use a bit of cold butter to generously grease an 8X8 glass dish
  6. Slice the banana and arrange it evenly over the bottom of the glass dish.  Sprinkle the blueberries over the top.
  7. Pour the batter over top of the fruit in the glass dish. Note: the fruit will float to the top while it cooks. 
  8. Bake at 325° for 55-65 minutes. The custard cake is done when the edges are lightly browned and the center is no longer wet with just a bit of jiggle.
  9. Remove from oven and cool.  Don't cut into this while it is piping hot. This can be served warm or cold. For a special treat, top with a bit of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. 
*The coconut flour will need to be sifted if you are not using an immersion blender.
**I like to use crispy nuts, as they taste better and have superior nutrition to raw nuts.  But you could use plain almond flour from the store if you prefer.
***I find that frozen blueberries have superior flavor to the ones I can buy fresh at the store. If you live where you can get nicely ripened fresh blueberries, feel free to use them instead of frozen berries.  You'll need to reduce the cooking time a bit since fresh blueberries will not be cold like the frozen ones.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Could yogurt be substituted for the sour cream?

Sarah Smith said...

Sure, you could use full-fat yogurt, but the flavor will not be quite as rich.

Sarah Smith said...

And you will probably need to decrease the spices a bit, since the sour cream tends to mute the spices a bit (and they might taste too strong with yogurt instead).

Unknown said...

Thanks :-) I just tend to have yogurt on hand, but not sour cream....

Anonymous said...

I have just discovered your blog and I'm so excited about recipes that make me want to eat again. I have been struggling with GAPS diet because I have no imagination when it comes to cooking. You are providing me with such inspiration! I am curious about the format of your page. In the last day or so the background, which is lovely to look at, is showing through and makes it very difficult to read (I am 68 and my eyesight isn't what it used to be) Is this done on purpose or some type of error in formatting?

Sarah Smith said...

Hello,
That mist be some problem with your computer or whatever device you are using. The formatting looks just like usual on both my iPad and computer.

I'm glad to provide some help on GAPS! I know it can be so hard, and that is why I started this blog. I had such a hard time finding recipes to use that I just started making lots of my own. Good luck on your journey!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your quick response--that's another reason I like your blog, you are so attentive to your readers. I think the problem must be with my anti-malware software. I tried your Clafouti recipe this morning, and it was fantastic. Can't wait to try this Custard Cake as it reminds me of a baked oatmeal recipe I loved before GAPS. Janet

Unknown said...

love this recipe, I'm always on the look out for new gluten free recipes. Glad I stumbled upon your blog it is great. If you would like to visit me back I'm at http://www.astartemoonblog.com/, blessings, Alison

reni said...

This was simply a delirium cake. Prepared for a friend's birthday, cooked and eaten in the middle of the night with tens of mmmms and oooms, everybody loved it. I added strawberries, redcurrant, and replaced almond flour with pumpkin seed flour+ normal flour as I didn't have enough seeds. Don't be shy on the spices. It was freshly cheesy, mild bananized, sour currant exciting, and so light! Warning: don't prepare for more than 3 people, so you can have a second piece, believe me you will scream for it. And it was perfect combined with ginger-mint-lemon-honey ice tea. It turned to be such a good combination, gives space for a new bite of the cake with renewed taste buds. Thank you so much for this recipe and the website.

Sarah Smith said...

Wow Reni, I'm glad you enjoyed this so much!