I’ve been lovin’ the peaches. Plums and apricots used to be my favorite summer fruits, but I just can’t abide the things being sold back here. Dry, flavorless, and never-ripening. The peaches – yellow peaches – on the other hand, have been pretty good.
I had just a couple left and wanted to use them up for dessert tonight, so I thought I’d peruse some old Gourmet magazines. I found a good one from 2004.
Caramelized Peach Upside-Down Cake
To prevent the caramelized peaches from sticking to the parchment paper, unmold these flavorful little cakes while they’re still warm.
Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1 1/4 lb medium peaches (about 4)
- 9 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Special equipment: a muffin tin with 6 large (1-cup) muffin cups; parchment paper
preparation
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
Melt 2 teaspoons butter, then brush muffin cups with some of it. Chill muffin tin 2 minutes to set butter. Line bottom of each muffin cup with a round of parchment paper, then brush cups and parchment with remaining melted butter and chill 2 minutes more. Divide 1 teaspoon flour among muffin cups and shake to coat, knocking out excess flour.
Cut an X in bottom of each peach and immerse peaches in a large pot of boiling water until skins loosen, about 15 seconds. Transfer peaches with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to cool. Peel peaches, then pit and halve lengthwise. Cut peach halves lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then cut slices crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.
Melt remaining tablespoon butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then stir in 3 tablespoons brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is melted and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Carefully add a scant 2 cups peaches (caramel will splatter and sugar will seize), reserving remaining 1/3 cup peaches, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until peaches are tender and caramel is syrupy, 6 to 8 minutes. Spoon cooked peaches and caramel evenly into muffin cups.
Purée reserved peaches in a blender until smooth. Beat together eggs, salt, almond extract, and remaining 6 tablespoons brown sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until mixture is creamy and tripled in volume, 3 to 5 minutes in a stand mixer or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld. Reduce speed to low, then add puréed peaches and mix until just combined. Sift remaining 6 tablespoons flour evenly over egg mixture and fold in gently but thoroughly until just combined.
Spoon batter over caramelized peaches and bake until golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool in muffin tin on a rack 2 to 3 minutes, then invert a platter over muffin tin and flip cakes onto platter while still warm. Reposition any peaches that have stuck to parchment and serve cakes warm or at room temperature.
In typical Gourmet fashion, the recipe is a bit convoluted and unnecessarily complex. I reproduced it verbatim, so read through it first. It’s actually quite easy.
And yummy.