A browned butter vanilla sponge cake filled with a boozy stone fruit compote served with a touch of crème fraîche.
This Grilled Bourbon Peach Browned Butter Cake is a sure sign summer is leaving the building. I should be angry, but... STONE FRUIT, YO!!!
OK, confession time... I am not a fan of cooked fruit (with the occasional exception of blueberries, but only in muffins). Wait, you already know this. How about this? I didn't eat my first peach until university. WHAAAT!?!
As much as I've grown to love peaches, I still tend to gravitate toward nectarines, which are basically a smaller, fuzz-less peach. Right? 🙂 Let's just say that I will not buy one without the other. Odd? Blame it on all that pubescent peach fuzz.
The fuzz freaks me out - even after it becomes less noticeable when washed - so I sometimes remove the skin. A real pain, but a small one, compared to my many other OCD tendencies and hangups.
It seems a number of the foods I enjoy, generally send a mild tingle up my spine. I'm not talking about the he's-about-to-kiss-me kind of tingle. Topping that tingle list are eggs. Love them beside a stack of bacon, but cringe at handling them. How am I even able to bake, you ask? That's a whole other post...
Back to this Grilled Bourbon Peach Browned Butter Cake.
Did you know that in addition to yellow and white peaches, there are also doughnut peaches (or Saturn peaches that are slightly sweeter and don less fuzz). SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!! Or that some peaches are freestone (flesh separates easily from the stone) and others, clingstone (no explanation needed...)?
Thanks to Chatelaine for schooling me on 5 things I didn't know about peaches and quashing my peach ignorance.
I used both peaches and nectarines for this Grilled Bourbon Peach Browned Butter Cake. I grilled the fruits first, which made skinning a breeze, then I cooked them briefly in little brown sugar and spices before letting them soak overnight in their juices, spiked with a touch of bourbon.
How neat is this fillable pan? I filled the cavities with the compote and topped each with a slice of nectarine, leaving the skin to add a little colour contrast. Paired with this browned butter vanilla sponge and a dollop of crème fraîche, this cooked fruit dissenter quickly conformed to, not one, but two slices - and that was before our guests arrived.
The lesson here - Friday night spent home alone singing old Aretha Franklin tunes can turn into something quite special. I am thinking of cancelling all future Friday night plans.
p.s. - If you caught my Aretha performance on Instagram, I hope by now your ears have recovered. 🙂
Ingredients
Compote:
- 6-8 stone fruits I used 4 each of peaches and nectarines depending on size
- 60 grams firmly packed brown sugar ¼ cup
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
- powdered ginger to taste
- powdered cinnamon to taste
- 1 vanilla bean pod and seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ cup bourbon whiskey or cognac
Cake:
- 6 large eggs
- 250 grams granulated sugar 1 cup
- 4 grams pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon, I use Rodelle Reserve
- 80 grams liquid browned butter ⅓ cup
- 120 grams all-purpose 1 cup, unbleached flour
- 2 grams baking powder ½ teaspoon
- a pinch of salt
Garnish:
- slices of fresh nectarine
- crème fraîche optional
Instructions
Prepare the compote:
- Cut length-wise around the fruits and twist to separate and remove the stones.
- Grill for 3-4 minutes, cut side down. (You'll be very tempted to slap some ice cream on top and eat them all. I made extras for that very reason. 😉 )
- Remove from heat, peel away the skins and cut into chunks.
- In a saucepan, bring the sugar and orange juice to a light simmer over medium heat.
- Add the fruit and continue to simmer for another minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla beans, cinnamon and ginger. Add the vanilla pod and cinnamon stick to the pot, cover and allow to cool.
- Once cooled, stir in the bourbon and transfer the contents of the pot to an airtight container.
- Refrigerate overnight.
Make the cake:
- Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Prepare your pan - I use a pastry brush and homemade cake release (equal parts flour, shortening and oil). Place on a baking sheet and set aside.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whip attachment, whip the eggs, sugar and vanilla to ribbon stage on medium speed. It should appear pale yellow in colour and will fall from the whip like a ribbon when ready.
- Turn mixer to low and add the melted browned butter, while still mixing.
- When combined, remove bowl from stand and fold in the flour mixture, ⅓ at a time.
- Transfer to prepared pan and bake on the middle rack for 45 to 50 minutes. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Assembly:
- Use a slotted spoon to fill each cavity with a generous scoop of peach compote.
- Top with nectarine slices and drizzle with some of the juices from the compote.
- Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche.
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Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
Oh! This is so funny! You and my daughter can't stand the fuzz on peaches. Her brothers would chase her with a peach just so she'd scream and run 🙂 She likes peaches but just not the fuzz. One time I saw her in the kitchen with my peeler trying to peel the peach. Your cake looks wonderful! I'm pinning to make for a special occasion. Thank you for sharing.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Hahahaha....but, seriously - fuzz does not belong on fruit. 🙂 Thank you and I hope to hear your thoughts, if you do indeed make it.
Shinee says
Whoa, what a beauty! Your confessions crack me up!! The peach fuzz, the raw egg... Whaha Thanks for sharing and for a good laugh!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Shinee! Pleased I could make you laugh - the people who deal with my quirks on the daily don't find them so funny. 🙁
Emily | Rainbow Delicious says
This cake looks amazing! I need to make it soon while peaches are still in season, my family would love this!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Go for it!!
Derek | Dad With A Pan says
I need that pan! where did you find it?!
I Sugar Coat It! says
The link to the pan is above.
suchi@elegantmeraki.com says
Oh wow at first I thought how on earth you got this beautiful design. I am gonna look for this pan! Peaches looks like perfect addition to this!
I Sugar Coat It! says
The link to the pan is just below the recipe. It's a two-piece pan, but I used only one half.
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness says
WOW! What a cake! Did you say the peaches are soaked in bourbon and spices overnight? YES please! 🙂
I Sugar Coat It! says
You heard that right, baby gurl!! 😉
Lucy @ Globe Scoffers says
Wow this sounds and looks delicious! Thanks for sharing.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks - it really was!
Boastful Food says
What a beautiful dessert! That pan and the image of you making this cake while listening to Aretha are alright in my book;)
I Sugar Coat It! says
You can thank my grandfather for my love of music from way before my time. 🙂
Debi at Life Currents says
That peach compote looks amazing! I would eat that over cottage cheese in the morning for breakfast! Wow, what a great recipe!
I Sugar Coat It! says
We had some with a little yogurt and some of it went into ice cream! 😉
Noor says
The flavor combinations are just WOW. Lovely cake.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks!
Igor @ Cooking The Globe says
This cake looks and sounds absolutely fantastic. Fruits soaked in bourbon overnight should be so good. Yum!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Ummm, YEAH!!! Bourbon and peaches are definite besties. 😉 Thanks, Igor!
Katie Crenshaw says
OH MY GOODNESS! This cake looks so beautiful and yummy. I will take browned butter on ANYTHING, but you just took this cake to a whole other level! WOW! I am totally drooling. Can't wait to make this and impress my friends.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks for the lovely comment, Katie! Your friends will enjoy it - browned butter makes everything better!! 😉
Goreti says
(Sigh) Just when I thought I had enough cake pans! Looks like I will be purchasing another. This looks wonderful and I can just image the flavor. Another pin. At this rate, I will have to live to at least 100 in order to try them all.