056 / 75 · Sweet things worth the space
Cherry–Cardamom Buckwheat Custard Wedges
1 low 20 cm round custard cake, cut into 8 wedges · Active 25 min · Cook 40 min · Total 3 hr 25 min
Print recipe · PDFBuckwheat and cardamom give sour cherries a warm, slightly nutty setting without a heavy pastry case. This is a low, soft dessert to eat with a fork. The fruit is already ready to eat; the oven must still fully cook the flour-and-egg mixture around it.
Drain before measuring
Canned sour cherries are useful here because their tenderness is predictable. Drain, blot and then weigh 240 g of fruit. The juice belongs to another use, not to this batter; pouring it in would turn a shallow custard cake into a much wetter bake.
A low wedge travels better
The broad round pan keeps the custard layer shallow. Cool and chill it in the pan before cutting so each wedge keeps its cherries. A deep loaf tin would change the baking path and make the soft center much harder to judge.
Ingredients
- 240 g ready-to-eat canned sour cherries, drained and blotted
- 15 g unsalted butter:5 g for the pan and 10 g melted into the batter
- 150 g beaten egg without shell, about 3 large eggs
- 70 g fine sugar
- 60 g buckwheat flour
- 1 g ground cardamom
- 1 g fine salt
- 250 ml milk made with pasteurized milk
Set out
Oven, 20 cm round metal cake pan, at least 4 cm deep and 1.2 L capacity, Baking paper, Digital scales, Mixing bowl and whisk, Small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, Food thermometer, Rack, Sharp knife and thin spatula, Rigid shallow lidded carrier, Ice-packed cooler
Allergens
Egg, Milk. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the pan base with paper and grease the base and sides with 5 g butter. Scatter all the drained cherries over the base in one layer. Melt the remaining 10 g butter and let it cool slightly.
- Whisk egg and sugar until evenly combined. Whisk in buckwheat flour, cardamom and salt, then gradually add the milk and melted butter. Scrape the bowl so no pockets of dry flour remain. Do not taste raw batter.
- Pour all the batter slowly around the cherries. Bake 35–40 minutes, until the edge is lightly browned and the center is set with only a small gentle wobble. The middle must reach at least 165°F (74°C) and contain no liquid batter; continue baking if necessary.
- Cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Refrigerate the pan promptly, allowing at least 2 hours to reach 40°F (4°C) or colder. Once cold, cover it. It must enter refrigeration within 2 hours of baking, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C).
- Loosen the edge, lift or slide the cold cake onto its transport board and remove the paper. Cut into 8 equal wedges with a clean knife. Keep the wedges in their original circle, with a small paper divider between cut faces if needed.
Bring it
Carry the eight cold wedges in one rigid shallow carrier with a firm board underneath. Bring a thin spatula and small forks; the custard texture is unsuitable for an open napkin-only stack. Keep at 40°F (4°C) or colder in an ice-packed cooler and at the gathering. Count all time out of cold control during packing, transport and display together: no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C).
Finish at the gathering
Ready to serve cold. The host needs a plate and forks, with no oven time. Lift wedges from underneath instead of grasping their fruit tops.
Make it yours
Use it as a winter lunch dessert or an all-year board-game break. Keeping the same eight modest wedges leaves room for other party food without needing a decorative cream topping.
Ingredient labels
Buckwheat itself is not wheat, but check its milling label for wheat cross-contact. The base is not a certified gluten-free recipe. Canned cherry labels should not include an unlisted sauce.
A useful detail
Allow 20 minutes to prepare, up to 40 to bake, 20 to cool, 120 to chill and 5 to cut and pack:205 total. The milk-heavy batter gives a custard texture, not a springy sponge. A brown edge alone is not the center doneness check.
Another way
- Replace the 240 g cherries with 240 g drained ready-to-eat canned apricot pieces, cut no larger than the cherries.
- Use 60 g all-purpose flour instead of buckwheat flour for a less earthy flavor; this adds wheat to the actual allergen list. Keep the pan and baking endpoints.
Keep it well
Refrigerate covered at 40°F (4°C) or below for up to 3 days. Keep cut surfaces protected from other foods. Serve cold; freezing is not recommended for this soft custard texture. Discard portions that exceed the combined uncontrolled service clock.