Cinnamon-Cardamom French Toast Casserole
Inspired by techniques from Bon Appétit.
Cubed-looking slices of rich egg bread are dried out, soaked overnight in a cinnamon-cardamom custard, then baked until puffed and golden with a crackly sprinkle of demerara sugar on top. Drying the bread first and chilling it under the custard overnight means every slice soaks through evenly instead of turning soggy in the middle.
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Method
- 1
Dry out the bread. Set a rack in the centre of the oven and heat to 160 °C (140 °C fan). Spread the sliced bread on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing halfway through, until dried out and lightly golden, 20-25 minutes.
- 2
Make the custard. Meanwhile, butter a 33x23 cm baking dish. Whisk the eggs, cream, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and orange zest (if using) together in a medium bowl.
- 3
Soak the bread. Arrange the dried bread in overlapping rows in the prepared dish. Pour the custard over, pressing the bread down so it soaks it up. Let it sit 5 minutes, then press down once more. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
- 4
Bake. Set a rack in the top third of the oven and heat to 160 °C (140 °C fan). Let the dish stand at room temperature while the oven heats, at least 30 minutes. Uncover, tilt the dish and ladle the pooled custard back over the top, pressing down once more to submerge the bread. Brush the top with the melted butter and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake until the bread is lightly golden, puffed and pulling away from the edges of the dish and the butter is bubbling, 30-40 minutes.
- 5
Serve. Let cool slightly, then serve with crème fraîche and maple syrup alongside.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and eat within 3 days, reheating gently in a low oven or the microwave until hot throughout. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Free sugars
19.7 g per serving
39.4 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 78.8 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- rimmed baking sheet
- 33x23 cm baking dish
- medium bowl
- whisk
- fine grater
- pastry brush
- plastic wrap
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 735 kcal |
| Protein | 18.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 63.3 g |
| of which sugars | 27.1 g |
| of which free sugars | 19.7 g |
| Fat | 46.1 g |
| of which saturates | 26 g |
| Fibre | 2.1 g |
| Salt | 1.41 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
