Description
Crisp, fluffy cornmeal cake topped with gooey caramel and sweet, juicy peaches.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 peaches (or fruit, enough to cover the bottom of your skillet or cake pan)
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) butter
- Approximately 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Halve and pit the peaches, then slice each half into approximately 6 slices. Set aside. (If you’re using particularly small fruits – like small apricots – you may want to use whole fruit halves.)
- Either in a 10-inch cast iron skillet (in which you will bake the cake) or in a medium-size skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture forms a fairly smooth caramel. Reduce the heat if needed to keep from burning the caramel.
- If using the cast iron skillet, arrange the slices of fruit on top of the caramel (if using fruit halves, either the cut or the peel side can go down). If using a cake pan, spread the caramel sauce into the bottom of the pan and arrange the fruit on top. Set pan, fruit, and caramel aside.
- To make the cake, whisk togethr the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, handheld mixer, or wooden spoon, cream together the butter and sugar on until light and fluffy. This should take about 3-5 minutes in a stand mixer on medium speed or a handheld mixer on high, or about 10 minutes if using a wooden spoon.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium until thoroughly combined after each. Add vanilla and continue to beat for another minute. Scrape down bowl and paddle to make sure everything is thoroughly incorporated.
- Slowly add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Be careful not to beat any longer than necessary. Mix only just until flour is completely incorporated, finishing with a wooden spoon if desired.
- Spread the batter on top of the fruit in the pan. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and the center of the cake springs back lightly when pressed.
- Cool the cake on a wire rack at least 20 minutes before flipping over onto a flat surface. The cake is best eaten the day it is made, but also makes a fabulous breakfast the next morning.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins