I am currently eating all the summer fruit I can get my hands on. This past week, I bought around three dozen peaches and nectarines, plus some apricots thrown in for good measure, four bags of cherries, three cases on figs, three clamshells of blackberries, a Costco sized container of blueberries, and two mini watermelons.
I should mention Dad won’t eat any of that and I haven’t begun my freezing for the season yet. None of it will go to waste either. Mom and I will eat most of it and I’ll likely bake with some of it. I have a problem though.
I’m running out of fruit filled recipes. There are only so many coffee cakes, pies, and crumbles one can make with fresh fruit. I am not, and never will be, tired of baking with the glorious gifts of summer, but my creativity is failing me.
So, I’m enlisting your help! Leave a comment here or reach out via social media or my contact page to tell me about fruit desserts I am totally missing out on. Whether you have a family recipe or once had a dessert at a restaurant or in a bakery, I want to hear about it.
This Old Fashioned Yeasted Peach Cake has been languishing in my bookmarks for quite some time and I broke it out when I had a ton of peaches and felt inspired to bake a recipe that used more than a cup or two.
It’s one of those recipes I am so glad I finally made and have no idea why I waited so long. I might venture to say this is also one of the most unique recipes I have made. The base is a barely sweetened bread, basically. It’s topped with a ton of peaches and some cinnamon sugar which brings the vast majority of the sweetness to the recipe.
Because of its unique level of sweetness and bread base, I think this makes an awesome breakfast with some coffee or tea. Ice cream scooped on top is never a bad thing either (even for breakfast), particularly when it melts into the cake.
Old fashioned is new again with this bready cake to serve a crowd.
Old Fashioned Yeasted Peach Cake
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 30 servings 1x
Ingredients
- ¾ cup warm water
- ¾ cup warm milk (I used skim, use what you love)
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 packet dry active yeast
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 12 large peaches, pitted and sliced
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Stir together water and milk (warmed to about 110 degrees F. Stir in 6 tablespoons butter, egg, and ½ cup sugar. Sprinkle with yeast and allow to proof about 10 minutes, until foamy. Slowly stir in the flour. Once all of it has been added, knead the dough on a floured surface for 3-5 minutes until a smooth ball forms. Oil the bowl you made the dough in and place the dough back in it. Cover with plastic and place in a warm, but not hot, spot, and allow to rise for about 1 hour until at least doubled in size.
- Butter 2 baking dishes. I used a 9 by 13 and a large stockpot – use what you have and place foil underneath them while baking to catch any drips. Divide the dough in half and spread it to cover the pan entirely while taking care not to rip it.
- Sprinkle peaches with lemon juice and stir to coat. Arrange peaches on top of the dough. Use them all! Stir together remaining cup of sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the cakes, using it all as well. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons of butter on top. Cover the pans with plastic and place in a warm, but not hot, spot, and allow to rise for another hour.
- When dough has risen again, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake, rotating halfway through, for about 1 hour 20 minutes, until dough is fully cooked when checked with a fork. Cover with foil if at anytime the cakes become too brown. Serve warm or cool completely in pans. Cake may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or frozen, in pieces, wrapped in plastic and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a couple hours or in a microwave for about 1 minute.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Additional hands off rising time is necessary
Summer fruit is the best! So good for baking, too. You’ve done a lot over the years, but there’s always more you can do. I love all the traditional American baked fruit dishes with all the unusual names: Grunt, buckle, etc. Have a Happy 4th!
Buckles are my jam, but I have never made a grunt – thanks for the idea, John! Hope you had a great holiday!
Your peach cake sounds like the perfect start to the morning with a cup of tea.
Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It’s really awesome
★★★★★