Monday, August 15, 2011

Farmhouse Peach Cake

Would you believe that this is the third peach cake I've made this summer?  I haven't liked any of them until this one!  Some of them were prettier, but this one has the flavor that I wanted.  It's pure late summer sweetness.  The bottom is a little bit dry and not so sweet, which is actually a perfect balance to the very sweet and juicy fruit.  I served it with whipped cream, but honestly, I was perfectly happy to gobble it up plain.

This isn't the gorgeous peach cake you would make for company, but I'll bet anything your kids will eat their fruit if you make it this way.  It disappeared fast at my house.

The peaches are terrific.  I used figs as well, and to be honest, next time I'll probably use berries with the peaches or just peaches alone since they really are the star of this cake.

Peeling peaches is very easy if you slip them into boiling water for about two minutes.  The peels come off perfectly.  If you don't want to do that, just peel them with a paring knife or a vegetable peeler.

Note: This needs to be baked a day before serving to give the fruit juices time to set. 

Farmhouse Peach Cake

8x8 baking dish or 8-inch deep dish pie pan

1 tablespoon butter for the pan

3-4 peaches
1 lemon
2/3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon flour

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
4 tablespoons milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla


Grease the baking dish with butter.

Peel and slice the peaches. Toss with the juice of the lemon.  Melt the butter (I used the microwave in short blasts).  Add the sugar, nutmeg, flour, and 3 tablespoons melted butter to the peaches and toss to coat.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat the egg with the sugar.  Add the milk, melted butter and vanilla and beat.

Place the fruit in the baking dish in a pleasing pattern, overlapping the peach slices.  When you have completely covered the bottom with fruit, pour the remaining liquid over top of it.  Then slowly pour the batter over the fruit in a thin ribbon so that you cover all the fruit as much as possible.  There may be a small part along the edges that isn't covered, and that's okay.

Bake at 425 for 30 minutes, or until the fruit bubbles and the top is golden brown.

Do not turn out of the pan!  Allow to cool.  Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.  When cold, run a knife around the edges and press gently to loosen.  Top with a plate and flip.

Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream, creme fraiche, or clotted cream.


Enjoy!

22 comments:

  1. It looks delicious. It's the "needs to be baked a day before serving" part that may be a problem...........:)

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  2. oh, yum! I just bought some really good peaches but not enough for this. Looks like I'm going back to the store!

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  3. I just love these peach recipes. This one sounds delicious and I love the fact that other fruits can be added or left out, either way. :)

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  4. That's absolutely mouthwatering, Krista! I can't wait to try it.

    Thanks!

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  5. Krista, I adore peaches! And peach cake is simply luscious. Hope you had a good group at the house this weekend.

    ~Avery

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  6. We are getting some terrific peaches this year. Sounds perfect for Missouri!

    Great tip about serving the next day. Frustrating sometimes to make a dish for a party and then the leftovers are better.

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  7. Christi, it wasn't easy knowing that it was in the fridge and we couldn't eat it. But the next day, it turned out to be worth the wait!

    ~ Krista

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  8. Book Dragon, I have one more peach cake recipe that I'm going to try this summer because it was so highly recommended. So I'm going to be buying more peaches, too!

    ~ Krista

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  9. Elizabeth, I like versatile recipes, too. The peaches really are the star here, though, because they're so juicy!

    ~ Krista

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  10. Mary Jane, it's not the prettiest cake, but mouthwatering describes it perfectly. It's a sweet treat.

    ~ Krista

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  11. Thanks, Avery! I had fun with my friends, and we had some delicious meals.

    ~ Krista

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  12. I am going to try this within the next day or two. I have a bag full of peaches in my refrigerator right now!

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  13. Dave, the peaches produce a good bit of juice. Refrigerating it allows all the juices to set up so that it can be cut and doesn't dish up like a cobbler. Hmm, now that I think about it, I guess you could serve it warm like a cobbler!

    ~ Krista

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  14. Oh, wow...I can just see a scoop of pecan praline ice cream on this baby! Another winner, Krista, thank you. Great timing for this. Peaches are bountiful at every market I pass. This is such a great use for them. :)

    ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  15. Janel, I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

    ~ Krista

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  16. Mason, it's a nice little indulgence!

    ~ Krista

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  17. Cleo, ice cream is always terrific with these fruit cakes. And peaches just evoke summer for me.

    ~ Krista

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  18. Hi Krista,

    An easier way to peel peaches is to freeze them. Then the skins slip right off when you run them very briefly (just 2-3 seconds) under cold water.

    I'm looking forward to trying this cake! Thanks for the recipe.

    Lynne

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  19. Looks like another winner, Krista!

    With our blazing summer heat I've been doing a lot of my cooking/baking later at night, so the waiting part of this cake will be easier for me. I'm with Cleo, vanilla ice cream will top it for us!

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  20. Lynne, I'll have to try freezing them. How long do you leave them in the freezer?

    ~ Krista

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  21. Lynn, it's been brutal up here, so I can only imagine how hot it has been farther south. We had a wonderful cool day today. I hope that extended down your way!

    ~ Krista

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