Peak peach season is the optimal time to make this ultra-moist sweet peach cake. Ripe fresh peaches are quickly blanched, skinned, then sautéed in brown butter and sugar. A whole peach is chopped and folded into the batter, for double peach delight!
BOLO DE FUBÁ
I discovered a traditional Brazilian treat, cornmeal cake, a sweet cake often served with coffee. That is the base of this peach cake. The cornmeal in the cake base lends texture and a subtle flavor that contrasts the sweetness of the peaches quite nicely.
In most cornmeal cake recipes, all ingredients are blended in a blender to achieve a creamy, almost custard-like consistency. Here, I left the cornmeal as is. It lends a nice texture to balance the smooth creaminess of the cooked peaches.
Of course, it may be worthy to note that the addition of peaches is completely nontraditional as well. I think that’s what makes this version so tasty!
PEACH PARTY
The cake is baked, then set to cool in the fridge. While the cake bakes, the peaches are prepared on the stovetop. Once the cake is cool, the peaches are layered on top in whatever pattern or arrangement suits your fancy. The cake adorned with peaches is then set back in the fridge for an hour, where the buttery sugary juices of the peaches slowly seep into the crumb of the cake, creating that delectable moisture and permeating peach flavor.
After some experimentation, I found that adding the peaches after the cake baked yielded the best results. The peaches keep some of their structure this way, and allowing the cake to sit lets it soak, achieving that perfect peachy bite!
Use a 9″ round cake pan for this recipe. You can make this for a party with friends, or just for yourself. It keeps extremely well and even holds up when left out on the counter overnight.
CHANGE IT UP
For gluten free and dairy free alternatives to the original recipe, scroll down to the recipe notes. A few simple substitutions turn this cake into a gluten and/or dairy free delight!
To save time, you can use canned peaches for this recipe. I’d recommend getting the ones with the lowest sugar content!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 whole eggs
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- ½ cup milk of choice
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup regular or finely ground cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- pinch salt
For the Peaches
- 5 ripe peaches washed clean and patted dry
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Peaches
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Score the peaches with a small knife. Make an X on the bottom of each peach.
- As soon as the water boils, prep an ice bath in a separate bowl by adding lots of ice and cold water. Fill the bowl about halfway. If you don't have a bowl large enough to fit all the peaches, you can use another pot, cold and off heat.
- Using tongs, carefully add the peaches to boiling water. Let boil about one minute, until the skin on the bottom looks like its starting to peel back at the corners.
- Remove peaches from boiling water using tongs and add directly into the ice bath. Wait about 5 minutes to allow the peaches to cool.
- Remove the peaches from the water and set out to dry. Remove the skin from one peach by gently pushing away at the X mark at the bottom. The skin should easily peel off.
- Once all peaches are peeled, it's time to cut! Dice ONE peach into small pieces. This will go into the cake.Slice the other four peaches nicely. This will be for the top of the cake. You want the slices to be about medium thickness — enough to hold their shape but thin enough to eat easily.
Cornmeal Cake
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9" round cake pan with parchment on the bottom.
- In a clean bowl, add eggs, oil, milk and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously to combine.
- In a separate bowl, sift baking powder and flour. Add in cornmeal and pinch of salt. Whisk briefly to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Whisk vigorously by hand to combine. Batter should be smooth.
- Add in the one diced peach to the batter. Fold in gently with a spatula.
- Pour thee batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes. Baking times may vary. Check the cake at the 30 minute mark. If a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, leave in for another five minutes. Be advised, the top of the cake will brown considerably, no worries! The inside will be just fine 🙂
Assembly
- In a large saute pan, add the butter. Let it melt. When it begins to bubble and emits a nutty aroma, add sugar. Stir to combine.
- Add the remaining sliced peaches to the pan in a single layer. Let the peaches cook for about 5-7 minutes over medium heat. They should be soft and caramelized but not falling apart.
- Remove from pan and set in refrigerator (after cooling) until ready to use.
- Once the cake is finished cooking, turn it out onto a cooling rack. Once room temperature, place in the fridge to cool for about 30 minutes.
- Remove cake from fridge and level the cake, using a large serrated bread knife to even out the surface of the cake.Arrange the peaches in a circular pattern, working from the outside in. Use the best-looking slices first, then fill in the gaps with smaller slices.
- Let the decorated cake sit in the fridge for about an hour. This will allow the juices from the peach to absorb into the cake.
- Slice and serve! Whipped cream optional.
