Sunday 5 June 2011

Upside down peach and blueberry sponge



OK, so we’re in June and summer’s here (sort of).
I know I shouldn’t be making a cake using tinned peaches and serving it warm with custard but what can I say? I’m a contrarian baker!


This recipe is on the lines of a pineapple upside down cake, but made with peaches.
I used the blueberries as they provided a lovely colour contrast but also because I love the flavour and texture of a cooked blueberry.


This cake is a whopper!
The tin only just contained it, hence my comment in the method that if you have a bigger tin you might want to use it! Here it is from the oven, so upside down to how it’s served:


Is there a more pleasing piece of fruit than a tinned peach half?
It’s so perfectly smooth and round and such a beautiful colour. It made me forget that you only get a measly 6 halves per tin!


Mr CC is well trained in baking matters now. He found himself in Norfolk this week for work and came back with a rather special gift:


This is flour is from Letheringsett Mill, Norfolk’s only flour producing water mill. There has been a water mill at Letheringsett as far back as the Domesday book...that’s 1086! The flour was beautiful – incredibly fine and soft, almost like talc.


We had the cake warm, with custard, on the day of baking. The next day it was equally delicious eaten at room temperature with thick cream:


Ingredients:

For the topping:

2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 tablespoon plain flour
small punnet of blueberries
3 cans (400g each) of peach halves, drained

For the sponge:

250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
280g self raising flour
250g golden caster sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
150ml natural yoghurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blueberries left over from the punnet listed in the topping ingredients

To serve: ice cream, cream or custard (depending on whether you serve hot or cold)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180˚C/ fan oven 160˚C/350˚F/Gas mark 4.

Line a 20cm x 30cm roasting/baking tin with baking paper - make sure it’s a deep tin, although if you wish, you can use a slightly bigger tin.

Sprinkle the tin with the sugar and flour.

Place a blueberry into each peach half and then place the peaches, cut side down, in the tin.

Now make the sponge: place all the ingredients into a bowl and beat together until smooth and lump free.

Spoon the batter over the peaches, taking care not to dislodge the peaches.

Level the surface then gently push any leftover blueberries into the batter.

Bake for approximately 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the sponge comes out clean.

Leave to cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes then turn the cake out. If you leave it too long, the caramelised peaches may stick to the paper.

Serve either warm with ice cream or custard, or at room temperature with cream.

Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.

Eat.

24 comments:

Caroline said...

Please can I come round for a slice? Pretty please? This is my favourite kind of cake - lovely, lovely fruit (I adore tinned peaches) and a lovely soft, sweet, moist cake on top.

I can understand you wanting custard with it - the weather here is decidedly un-summer like today, although yesterday was ok - the joys of an English summer!

Victoria said...

tinned peaches are wonderful! besides...peaches are so expensive, and you have to blanch them to take the skin off...tinned is the way to go! this cake looks soo yummy!! :)

Maria♥ said...

I love these types of cake, so moist and full of flavour! Looks divine.

Maria
x

Hazel - Chicken in a Cherry Sauce said...

I love the colour contrast in this too. I am dying for that last photo (with the cream) to be right in front of me right now... mmmm!

Choclette said...

I love the way the blueberries have stained the cake in this. Bet it tastes fab.

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

That is so beautiful! Look at the colours. I love it! I would want it with custard too, but hey, I bet it would be great with cream too. So, so pretty!

Kate@whatkatebaked said...

You've just totally inspired our dessert- we just changed it to use peaches, apricot and cherries instead! Absolutely delicious-went down a storm with everyone having seconds! Many thanks from a very happy, and full, family!

Maggie said...

I have never had a problem with tinned fruit.
Wonderful flavour combination too.

Baking Addict said...

I love the colours on this cake! It looks amazing. I was just thinking about pineapple upside down cake today... you've inspired me to think outside the box.

Jo said...

Oh my god that looks absolutely amazing, I'm so jealous. I used up my blueberries making muffins the other day but now I wish I had made something like this!

Cakelaw said...

Yummo - this looks delicious! Peaches are fab in baking. Custard is good all year round :)

Unknown said...

You have such detailed photos it is truly inspiring for me to start baking a cake. This looks so colorful and moist I would love to have a slice!!

Katie said...

There is nothing wrong with tinned peaches, especially as the ones in the shops are usually hard and bland. Can't bit a bit of sponge, fruit and custard!

Love the colour contrast with the blueberries.

The Caked Crusader said...

Hi Kate (Kate@katescakesandbakes )

Glad you all enjoyed it. Just to let you know, I've tried to leave a comment on your site but blogger won't let me. Don't know if it's you or me, probably me as you have other comments. Didn't want you to think I was being rude!

Happy baking

Unknown said...

That looks delicious, simply mouth watering :)

Cyncalla said...

Fabulous, as usual! But how on earth do you always get your cakes to be so perfectly level post-baking? I seem to always have domes no matter what I do.

The Caked Crusader said...

Hi Cyncalla

Well, this one's an upside down cake so the top (when you serve it) was the bottom when it was cooking - therefore it will always be flat!

I think cakes dome if the oven's too hot and makes the raising agent rise unevenly. Maybe get an oven thermometer to check the accuracy of your oven's thermostat?

Happy baking

Lisa said...

Want!

Denver Car Accident Attorneys said...

So yummy looking! =)

Kim said...

Oh my gosh that looks soooo good! I'm on a bit of a peach obsession at the moment and keep taking tins to work with me to eat so this is right up my street. The sponge looks nice and light too. Definitely bookmarking this!

Cyncalla said...

Oh my goodness... I didn't realized how ridiculous my question was until you were kind enough to answer it! Oy. Honestly, I know this is an upside down cake-- but I suppose just seeing the perfect top (ie. bottom, really) just reminded me of my number one personal pet peeve, my very domed surfaces.

D'oh. Thanks for the kind response to my insane question!

Gloria Baker said...

Look absolutely delicious I want a slice please!! gloria

Xinmei @ Pudding Pie Lane said...

I don't mind if its tinned! Still lovely and yummy :) I'd like to think you're just saving yourself some time peeling the peaches, whisking the egg yolks.... why do that when you can spend the time eating this cake instead? :D

glamah16 said...

I love that MR. CC looked put for you and brought back that flour. Major points! And Im liking this colorful combo of peach and blueberry!