Eighty-five and Still Counting

Last Sunday was my father’s 85th birthday and I went out to their house for a birthday dinner. Dad smoked a pork loin and some short ribs and my brother Kerry (who was down for a visit) made a corn salad that had too much cilantro in it (but, given that I detest cilantro any cilantro is too much). I fixed Potatoes Parmigiano and a blueberry gastrique for the pork, and I made a peach birthday cake.

A month or so ago I wrote an article for NPR’s Kitchen Window on cooking with peaches and, as usual, had way too many recipes to include and the cake was one of those that didn’t make the cut. But I love peaches and I hadn’t made a cake this year (something I typically do about once a year) so I made it for the birthday party.

Both peach seeds and almonds have a distinct flavor of prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide — yes, cyanide, the poison.

Peaches arrived early this year, and their flavor isn’t particularly intense. We had a lot of rain in the spring and I suspect that the peaches’ flavor is literally watered down. So I made peach conserves to top the cake and add a boost in peachy goodness. I also made whipped some cream with Amaretto.

Almonds and peaches are related and it you look at a peach seed it looks a lot like an almond. In fact, although we think of almonds as nuts they aren’t a true nut but instead the seed of a fruit Also both peach seeds and almonds have a distinct flavor of prussic acid (hydrogen cyanide — yes, cyanide, the poison), as a result almonds and by extension Amaretto are a good flavor match for peaches.

So I baked a cake, which, as my 11-year-old nephew noted, was “actually quite good.”

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Peach Cake
Serves 12.

Cake:
1 c unsalted butter — softened
2 1/2 c granulated sugar
6 lg eggs
2 2/3 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c lightly-packed almond flour*
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 c peaches (about 4 medium) — peeled and chopped
1/2 c sour cream
1 ts. vanilla extract
Conserves:
3 md peaches — peeled and chopped
1/4 c Amaretto
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp corn starch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water

Cake:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a standard bundt pan. Using a stand- or hand-mixer, cream butter and sugar until light, fluffy and a pale lemon color. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour*, baking soda and salt. And in a third medium-sized bowl combine sour cream, peaches, and vanilla.

Add 1/3 of flour mixture to egg mixture. Beat well. Add half of peach mixture and beat well. Repeat, ending with last third of flour. Pour batter into bundt pan.

Bake for 75 to 80 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool for 10 minutes and invert on a wire rack. Turn top up and cool thoroughly before slicing.

Conserves:
While cake is cooking, place all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes then stir in corn starch slurry until thickened. Allow to cool.

Serve cake topped with peach conserves and, if you wish, cream whipped with a couple of tablespoons of Amaretto.

*Note: I typically make my own almond flour by chopping blanched almonds in a mini food processor or blender. Be careful not to process too long or you’ll end up with almond butter.

Try Peach Cake with…
Pulled Pork
Lamb Steak with Gremolata
Pork Chops Florentine

Technorati: Food | recipe | kevin d weeks | seriously good | dessert | cake | peaches

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