old fashioned peach cake

The glorious peach season continues, I'm happy to say. And, while I'd thought of making some peach and ginger jam for winter, I just couldn't put the idea of a fluffy cake topped with juicy peach slices and sprinkled with sugar out of my mind. And, because I knew I'd have to "taste" it, I put the diet aside - maybe until turnip season. There would be no chance at all I would be tempted to make a turnip cake, or turnip anything.

I adapted this from a southern cookbook and The Silver Palate cookbook. I baked it in an 8" x 2" cake pan; part of a wedding cake set I have that I love because of that two inch lip. And it's heavy , so cakes don't burn.

To make:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease an 8"x2" round cake pan.

For the cake:

4 T. softened unsalted butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup King Arthur all purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 t. baking powder

large pinch of salt

2 T. topping mix( see below) plus more for the top

four or five peeled and sliced peaches

Cream the butter and sugar in mixer bowl. Beat in the egg and 2 tablespoons of the topping mixture, then add the flour, salt, and baking powder and milk.
Scrape into the cake pan.
Arrange the peach slices in a circular pattern, then sprinkle with sugar and the topping mix.
Bake for 35 minutes, until the cake is firm in the center when gently touched.
Let cool very well before cutting into slices.

The topping mixture:
4 T. soft unsalted butter
1/4 t. nutmeg
pinch of salt
1/3 t. grated lemon peel
1/3 cup sugar
Mix until combined.
I use this both in the batter, and on top of the cake.

Enjoy the season!