Is this really the fourth peach recipe in a row? I will admit to being obsessed with peaches. I’m not tired of them yet, but sadly it is the end of the season and my treasured flat is empty. Yesterday was the autumnal equinox, and I am reminded of a line from Dylan Thomas’ poem Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.
“Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
This cake is the blazing sun of desserts. Everything about it screams summer. Make it if you can find late season peaches. Hold on to the light. Because it is made with cornmeal and ground almonds (and therefore gluten-free), its interior is also golden. I’ve made this cake several times, substituting the cornmeal once with corn flour and once with polenta. The corn flour was decidedly unsuccessful, but I did like the slight crunchiness of the polenta.
If there are no more peaches where you live, ease into autumn by substituting plums or figs. Although I love the light of summer, autumn is my favorite time of the year. Bring on the pears, cranberries, quince, and persimmons. The light will be dimmer, the crisp air will bring relief from the heat, and we have the possibility of lots of rain on the west coast. Change is good, hope sustains us.
Ingredients
- 2 large peaches
- ¼ cup (2 oz.) brown sugar
- 1 cup (8 oz.) butter, at cool room temperature
- 1 cup (7 oz.) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (7 oz.) ground almonds
- 2/3 cup (3 ½ oz.) cornmeal
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder*
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the optional syrup:
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9” cake pan, line it with parchment paper, and then butter the parchment paper.
Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly into the cake pan. Peel, pit, halve, and slice the peaches. Arrange the peaches in concentric circles over the brown sugar.
Using a stand mixer, or a hand held electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl. Combine the ground almonds, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, rosemary, and lemon zest.
In another bowl crack the three eggs into a bowl, leaving them whole. Add the vanilla extract.
Add about ¼ of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mix well, add one of the eggs to the mixture and beat well. Continue adding the dry ingredients alternately with the eggs, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl several times during this process to make sure that all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Don’t worry about overmixing, as there is no gluten in the batter. The more air you can beat into the batter, the lighter the cake will be.
Pour the batter over the peaches, smooth the top. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Make the lemon syrup, if using, when the cake comes out of the oven. Combine the lemon juice and sugar and bring to simmer to dissolve the sugar.
Evenly prick the top of the cake with a toothpick. Slowly pour the lemon syrup over cake, letting it soak in as you go. When the cake is completely cool, invert it onto a serving plate.
*Use a gluten-free brand such as Clabber Girl, to make the cake gluten-free.
Note: This cake is also good with the substitution of plums, apricots, figs, apples, berries, or whatever is in season.
http://madeleineeffect.com/2015/09/peach-rosemary-cornmeal-cake/
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