Peaches and buttermilk are a wonderful summer combination (seriously – sweet, sliced peaches in a bowl drizzled with thick buttermilk are a revelatory treat). And baked into a simple cake is a great delight. But to be honest, this is what I think of as a template cake. Because the possibilities are endless. Top with strawberries, plums, nectarines, blueberries or other fruit. Add spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom. Chopped fresh mint, rosemary or thyme. Keep this recipe in your back pocket for all your summer farmers market finds. Though I very much recommend buttermilk for the tender crumb, you can use milk or cream or yogurt. I love the crackly texture of a sprinkle of demerara sugar, but you can use turbinado, regular granulated or skip it altogether.
The cake is never too sweet, so it’s perfect for breakfast or a snack, as well as dessert. The bouncy cake with sweet fruit topping is a treat all on its own. A pillow of sweet peach whipped cream is a real treat, but plain whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream adds a little sweetness. You could also go all out with some Peach Butterbourbon Sauce or Sweet Tea Peaches.
Ingredients
- For the Cake
6 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk
2 – 3 peaches
2 Tablespoons demerara sugar
- For the Whipped Cream
1 peach
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
Directions
- For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray.
- Beat the butter and the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth, creamy and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder and salt in three additions, alternating and ending with the buttermilk. Beat until very smooth and combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as need. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. You may need to use damp fingers to press it in, the batter is thick. Peel and pit the peaches, then slice thinly. Arrange over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the demerara evenly over the top of the peaches. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 325 degrees and bake for a further 50 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan, then unclip the ring and transfer to a serving plate.
- For the Whipped Cream
- Peel and pit the peach, then puree it in a blender or small food processor. Put the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Begin whipping, and as it thickens, add the confectioners’ sugar. When the cream has almost reached stiff peaks, spoon in three tablespoons of the peach puree and beat until the cream holds a stiff peak.
- If you have any puree left over, spoon it over the cake and cream.
This looks like the perfect summer treat! I think it would be great with plums too. If I substitute yogurt (plain, Greek) how much should I use? Same amount or less? Will it still have the tender crumb?
Same amount! Enjoy!
We made this last week for a lake house weekend party. People ate it warmed as dessert, with a cup of coffee for breakfast and almost ever time in between. Great taste and texture! Easy to make, traveled well and held up.