Simple Summer Peach Cake
Rustic and handsome, the way we like our cakes.
We ground almonds instead of using preground almond flavor. It was very loud.
The recipe calls for a cup of sugar, but then asks you to use 2 tablespoons of it first, so we simply measured the tablespoons from the cup!
After we added the buttermilk to the butter and eggs, it curdled rather violently. But no fear: It works out!
This is a nutmeg-specific rasp grater, but any microplane will do.
The peaches macerated with sugar and nutmeg while we prepared the batter.
Pressing the peaches into a single layer. It looked gorgeous!
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Author Notes: This particular flavor combination comes from my childhood -- on summer mornings my mother would fix me a bowl of cut up peaches with milk, sprinkled with sugar and a dusting of nutmeg. Although that's a pretty sublime combination, the flavors translate well to cake form. - Savour - Savour
Food52 Review: We had high hopes for this peach cake, and we weren't disappointed. We love Savour's headnote about childhood breakfasts served to her by her mother of peaches, milk, sugar and nutmeg, which were the inspiration for this recipe. The cake is chock full of juicy summer peaches, and the addition of ground almonds sets it apart from other simple butter cakes. It's luscious and a bit custardy in the areas surrounding the peaches -- a texture that works when the cake is either warm or at room temperature. Don't be alarmed if the batter seems to curdle when you add the buttermilk, as it will come together again once you mix in the dry ingredients. - A&M - A&M
Serves 8
- 3 ripe peaches
- 3/4 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour (or finely ground almonds)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- Turbinado Sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan.
- Cut the peaches into bite sized pieces. Toss the peaches with nutmeg and 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.
- Cream together the butter and remaining sugar with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the egg, buttermilk and extracts, and stir to combine.
- Combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add this flour mixture to the butter mixture, mix until smooth (some lumps may remain). Pour into the prepared pan.
- Press the peaches into the top of the cake. They can be nicely arranged, but I like to cram as many peaches as possible into the cake. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
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9 months ago cookbookchick
(Sorry -- I clicked on "add" twice by mistake!)
9 months ago cookbookchick
I happened across this recipe when I also happened to have three ripe peaches on my counter. I made it exactly as written except that I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt as others have done. It was really delicious -- definitely a keeper! To avoid the "too wet" issues that some have described, I drained the peaches after macerating them with the sugar and nutmeg. That worked perfectly and gave me some fragrant syrup to use as an ingredient in something else. I'm putting it in a smoothie this morning.
9 months ago cookbookchick
I happened across this recipe when I also happened to have three ripe peaches on my counter. I made it exactly as written except that I added 1/2 teaspoon of salt as others have done. It was really delicious -- definitely a keeper! To avoid the "too wet" issues that some have described, I drained the peaches after macerating them with the sugar and nutmeg. That worked perfectly and gave me some fragrant syrup to use as an ingredient in something else. I'm putting it in a smoothie this morning.
9 months ago Rachel Gaffney
Thank you....PERFECT... I have 3 peaches on my countertop... Just made it and the smell is just lovely.
11 months ago ElizabethQ
Yummy! Definitely bookmarking & making this peach cake !
11 months ago Mianna
Yum! Can't wait for peach season!! Thank you for this, we will love it...
12 months ago Natalie Matuszczak
I also added a healthy pinch of salt when making this for the first time last night.
Great recipe!
Just FYI if any of you find yourselves in the same boat: I realized I had no almond extract after starting to make this cake, so I decided to change the almond and all-purpose flour ratios. I used 1 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose instead and it turned out fabulously. I wanted to maintain the almond flavor and this worked well for me.
about 1 year ago sherbypeaches
I am allergic to nuts. Can I leave the almond flour out? Can I substitute it with something else?
about 1 year ago rlsalvati
Doubled the recipe & took this to a dinner last night, it was a big hit. We get frozen peaches from our CSA, I drained and chopped them, then decided the juice looked too good to waste and used it in place of the milk. I followed Rhonda35's advice & used 1 tsp salt for the double recipe, in a 9 x 13 pan. While this was fine dished out of my casserole, I will use a spring form pan when making the regular recipe.
over 1 year ago llcookies
Has anyone tried pears instead of peaches?
over 1 year ago linh
made it this summer, loved it with vanilla ice cream on top
over 1 year ago dymnyno
I love this cake and will continue to make it as long as the peaches last!
over 1 year ago Mary McKnight
We enjoyed this so much, warm from the oven, and again today as my home from work treat. It reminds me of these last sweet days of summer.
over 1 year ago Burnt Offerings
I subbed yogurt for the buttermilk with awesome results, but I wish you'd update the recipe to mention the salt - I didn't see it in the ingredients, and forgot to add it.... :-(
over 1 year ago Isadora Vonkrump
I was inspired by your wonderful recipe and added a bit of ground nutmeg and the tiniest splash of almond extract to a batch of my peach jam this year. I'll be thinking of your cake this winter!
over 1 year ago Soozll
I made this cake today and I just love it! I used my 9 inch deep dish ceramic pie plate and it filled it perfectly to the top. The filling has an almost frangipane flavor but it's looser and not as intensely almondy.. It also reminds me of a type of cobbler that is popular in the south but with almond notes instead of cinnamon. I didn't use the nutmeg, just vanilla sugar to toss with the peaches. The family loved it, too. I will definately make this again. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe, Savour.
almost 2 years ago flossy
So very, very good! I made it during the breakfast hour last saturday morning. Delightful.
almost 2 years ago spaetzlegirl
I suppose this cake doesn't really need more accolades, but I just can't help throwing in my own rave review. It's truly excellent. I didn't know nutmeg and peaches were a perfect match, and the ground almonds really boost the texture and flavor. I wish I could fedex pieces to all my loved ones, so they could also experience my current peachy bliss...
almost 2 years ago sexyLAMBCHOPx
awesome review, spaetzlegirl. I've saved it to make from it!
almost 2 years ago brooklynsam
I love this recipe--so much so that I've made three cakes in three days. They look beautiful, so I've been bringing them as hostess gifts. Wonderful!
almost 2 years ago Windtryst
Made this today,ground some almonds I found in the freezer,used 5 peaches and yes, I peeled them. Don't forget the salt! Came out perfectly, not soggy at all. Everyone loved it, thanks for the recipe!
almost 2 years ago natcrow
I made this of the first time yesterday and didn't notice that the recipe tells you to add salt but not how much until the last minute.
I added 1/2 a teaspoon. That seemed like a fine anount but I wouldn't mind hearing from the author of the recipe to know for certain.
Overall the cake was a hit.