Sour Cherry Baked French Toast Casserole

About This Recipe

This casserole is built on the classic American baked French toast, a brunch staple designed to be assembled the night before and popped in the oven the next morning, saving the cook from standing over a griddle while guests wait. Cubed bread soaks overnight in a rich custard of eggs, milk and cinnamon, absorbing the liquid fully so it bakes up soft and custardy inside with a golden, slightly crisp top. Sour cherries, a favorite in Midwestern baking, are folded through the bread before baking, their tartness cutting through the sweetness of the custard and streusel topping so the dish doesn't taste one-note sweet. A simple butter-and-brown-sugar streusel scattered over the top before baking adds crunch and a caramelized edge. This is a hands-off brunch centerpiece: nearly all the work happens the night before, leaving just a bake time in the morning while coffee brews.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 1 loaf (about 500g)day-old brioche or challah(cubed)
• 6 largeeggs
• 2 cupswhole milk
• 0.5 cupheavy cream
• 0.5 cupgranulated sugar
• 1 tbspvanilla extract
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 0.25 tspfine sea salt
• 2 cupspitted sour cherries(fresh or frozen and thawed, drained)
• 0.5 cupall-purpose flour(for streusel)
• 0.5 cupbrown sugar(for streusel)
• 0.5 tspground cinnamon(for streusel)
• 6 tbspcold unsalted butter(cubed, for streusel)

Instructions

1. 1

   Assemble the base

   Spread cubed bread in a buttered 9x13-inch baking dish. Scatter sour cherries evenly over and between the bread cubes.

2. 2

   Make the custard

   Whisk eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt together until smooth.

3. 3

   Soak overnight

   Pour the custard evenly over the bread, pressing gently so every piece is submerged. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

   Press the bread down firmly and re-press once more before bed if it's floating back up — fully soaked bread is what gives the casserole its custardy texture.

4. 4

   Make the streusel

   The next morning, combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in cold butter with your fingers until the mixture forms coarse, pea-sized crumbs.

5. 5

   Top and bake

   Scatter streusel evenly over the soaked casserole. Bake at 175C (350F) for 45-50 minutes until puffed, golden and set in the center — a knife inserted should come out mostly clean.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let the casserole rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Variations

• •

  Swap sour cherries for fresh or frozen blueberries when cherries are out of season.

• •

  Add a layer of cream cheese cubes between the bread and cherries for a richer, cheesecake-like version.

• •

  Use a mix of half brioche and half cinnamon-raisin bread for extra spice throughout.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers covered up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 60-90 seconds, or the full dish covered in a 160C (325F) oven for about 20 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions