Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

baked custard pancake

(14 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Barbara Kavorkian
Two Harbors, MN

This pancake is so good. In fact, it is more like a custard than cake and a wonderful breakfast delight. It puffs up nicely in the oven and then as you let it set, it absorbs all of the butter, sugar, and cinnamon that is on the bottom layer. You can sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top, or even a drizzle of honey or syrup but, I find this wonderfully sweet (although not overpowering) as it is and really does not need it.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Your guests will never guess how easy this baked custard pancake is to make. It's amazing and filled with bits of apples in every bite that are coated with sugar and spices. At first glance, this may look like a Dutch baby but it's different. The texture is creamy but firm enough to hold its shape. A fabulous breakfast to serve a crowd and a delicious way to start a holiday. We opted to serve with a little extra cinnamon and sugar. Powdered sugar or even a touch of maple syrup would be a delicious choice.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(14 ratings)
yield 3 -4 (8 pieces)
prep time 20 Min
cook time 30 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For baked custard pancake

  • 2-3 md
    apples, your favorite
  • 4 Tbsp
    sugar, divided
  • 1 tsp
    cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp
    ginger
  • 1/4 - 1/3 c
    unsalted butter (little shy of 1/3)
  • 1/3 c
    dark brown sugar (light works as well)
  • 3/4 c
    all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp
    salt
  • 1/4 tsp
    nutmeg
  • 1 c
    low-fat milk
  • 1/2 tsp
    vanilla
  • 5 lg
    eggs
  • powdered or cinnamon sugar to serve (optional)

How To Make baked custard pancake

  • Oven set to preheat while gathering ingredients.
    1
    I highly recommend that you prepare and measure all ingredients and place them into small bowls so you can just grab the bowl and dump as you go. This saves on confusion and ensures that you have all ingredients necessary. Heat the oven to 400°F.
  • Apples prepped and in a measuring cup.
    2
    Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Then cut them in half again to make 8 thick slices per apple. Then cut each of the slices in halves or thirds. You should have about 3 cups of chopped apples. Place these in a small bowl and set them aside.
  • Sugar mixed with cinnamon and ginger in a bowl with another bowl of brown sugar.
    3
    In another small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon and ginger and set aside. Measure out your brown sugar and set aside to grab by placing it into a small bowl and loosen it up so it is easier to sprinkle.
  • Milk in a measuring cup. Flour, salt, and nutmeg in a second bowl. Eggs and vanilla in a third bowl.
    4
    Measure out milk into a one-cup measuring cup and grab your flour, salt, eggs, vanilla, and nutmeg.
  • Butter, in a cast iron skillet, in an oven ready to melt.
    5
    Cut the butter into chunks and place them in a deep cast iron skillet or 8x8-inch baking dish. Put the skillet or baking dish in the oven for 3-4 minutes, or until the butter is melted.
  • Brown sugar sprinkled over melted butter.
    6
    Take the pan out of the oven and sprinkle the 1/3 cup brown sugar over the melted butter.
  • Apples placed in pan with melted butter and spices sprinkled over.
    7
    Carefully arrange the apples on top of the brown sugar and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the apples. Put the pan back in the oven to caramelize the apples and sugar. This should take 7-9 minutes while you prepare the cake/custard mixture.
  • Slowly adding milk to the spiced flour.
    8
    Whisk the flour with the remaining tablespoon of sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly with a large wire whisk to beat out any lumps.
  • Mixing in vanilla extract and eggs.
    9
    When the flour is smoothly incorporated into the milk, beat in the vanilla and the eggs one by one. Beat by hand for 2 minutes, or until foamy.
  • Letting the batter rest.
    10
    Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
  • Apples and sugar sizzling in the pan.
    11
    By now the sugar should be bubbling around the apples (about 7-8 minutes or so).
  • Batter poured over the apples.
    12
    Take the pan out of the oven and pour the batter over the apples. Bake for about 20 more minutes or until the center is set and sides are lightly browned.
  • Custard pancake as it comes out of the oven.
    13
    The pancake will puff up dramatically but fall after a few minutes after you take it out of the oven so do not be alarmed if you see it fall, it's supposed to happen. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 7-10 minutes before cutting.
  • Slice cut out of the Baked Custard Pancake.
    14
    You can cut this "pie style" into 8 servings. If you want, serve with powdered sugar or more cinnamon sugar.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT