Good lord, this cake is amazing

As far as desserts go, there is nothing I love more than a nice warm cookie and a big glass of milk. I love to make cookies, eat cookies, give cookies to other people, whatever cookie options there are, I love them. However, I've been trying to use all the fruit that I get in my CSA each week and as far as I'm concerned, the more baking I can do, the better. So when I saw this recipe on The Amateur Gourmet, I figured, what the hell. Gotta use that local seasonal fruit.


Good lord, it is amazing. I'm not a huge cake fan, but a slice of this straight out of the oven? I'm kvelling. It rocks.

Nectarine Golden Cake
from Gourmet Magazine (I'm still sad about no more Gourmet by the way. Bon Appetit just isn't cutting it)

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
Rounded 1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, soft
3/4 cup plus 1/2 Tbs sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp pure almond extract
2 nectarines, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges - I love it when you don't have to peel fruit by the way. Yay!
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

Equipment: a 9-inch springform pan - I totally have one of these now! Thanks, Alex! Yay for wedding presents.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F with rack in middle. Lightly butter springform pan.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt (Full disclosure: I totally skipped this step).

3. Beat butter and 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in extracts. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined.


I have a stand mixer now as well! Wedding presents are neat. Marriage is pretty neat as well.

4. Spread batter evenly in pan. It'll be pretty short - but it'll rise later.


Scatter nectarines over top. Stir together nutmeg and remaining 1/2 Tbsp sugar and sprinkle over top.


Bake until cake is golden-brown and top is firm but tender when lightly touched (cake will rise over fruit), 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove side of pan and cool to warm.



The cake is delicious. It forms a kind of crust around the edges that gives way to a light airy cake dotted with fruit. The almond extract and nutmeg give it some deep flavor that regular yellow cake doesn't have. It's perfect with a little bit of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Make it now. But be careful - I ate about 1/4 of the cake before Zack got home. Whoops.