This is the first thing I have baked in months! I am a little ashamed but I’ve reasoned to myself that when you have a job where you bake close to 8 hours a day for 5 days a week, you don’t exactly feel like cranking the oven on and rolling up your sleeves when you get home. Sure, I could have experimented with making preserves or ice creams, like I had imagined, but that didn’t exactly pan out. And what a pity…that would have been cool.
Oh well, I am moving on, spurred by gastronomic motivation. And by moving on, I am suggesting loads of pumpkin recipes, apple cider, flavored butters, homemade ravioli (fingers crossed), and pies. I love pies! To be a bit more specific, I loves tarts and tortes, especially when you can just pop them right out of their pans and serve.
The job that I previously mentioned, although strenuous at times, has taught me so many valuable tricks and techniques. For instance, I have grown a deep appreciation for watching butter and sugar cream together on medium-high speed into pale, fluffy peaks and for adding eggs one at a time so that they emulsify with the fats in the mixture producing a cake so soft and airy, you’ll eat the whole thing yourself. Oh! And maybe most importantly, I have learned which ingredients to never skimp on, vanilla extract is one of those ingredients. I have a bottle of vanilla extract that I’m pretty sure was derived from the tears of Hestia herself.
This recipe will really shine if you heed the advice of many bakers and whip the hell out of the butter, sugar, and eggs. You can’t really mix too long, unless your arm is getting tired. But try to give it a good 4 minutes and then you will feel proud and then your biceps will thank you.
Nectarine Cake
from Gourmet Magazine, September 2009, serves 8
Ingredients:
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
¼ c sour cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp pure almond extract
2 nectarines, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (freshly grated nutmeg would be wonderful)
Equipment: a 9-inch springform pan
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F with rack in middle. Lightly butter springform pan.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
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 sour cream and extracts. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined.
4. Spread batter evenly in pan, then 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), 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove side of pan and finish cooling, or serve warm.
