This is the perfect, easy summer cake topped with nectarines and blueberries. Make this nectarine cake for your family, a BBQ or just for yourself. You won't be sorry.
Do you like surprises?
People usually have a position on this, and I admit I fall in the 'don't like' side of the surprise issue. There's no horrible experience to blame, and I don't think of myself as controlling (my husband will disagree here - so maybe I should say unusually controlling), but there you have it. I'm not keen on surprises.
For example, I like knowing what I'm getting for Christmas. One little surprise here and there is ok. I like to have my hotels arranged for vacations before I get on the plane. Especially if I'm traveling outside the US, at the height of the travel season, and am unfamiliar with the area, language, and alphabet. (Am I right??) And I always research a movie before I'm held captive in a darkened theater for the 3-hour tear-jerker of the decade, or Chainsaw Massacre 2.
But a web-based, blogger surprise birthday party is something I can totally jump on board for. It's Isabels' birthday today and a whole bunch of us are throwing this surprise party for her. As far as we can tell, she has NO IDEA what we've been cooking up, literally.
I baked my favorite cake for you, Isabel - Nectarine Cake, with a few blueberries thrown in for fun. This is long-time family favorite, and I make it a couple of times every summer. I hope it becomes a family favorite for you too.
What's the Difference Between Nectarines and Peaches?
Peaches and nectarines are almost identical genetically, except for one key difference that we can all see. Peaches have a fuzzy skin, and nectarines have a smooth one. That said, many people feel that nectarines are more delicious, juicy and sweeter.
I think this depends on where you live. When my parents lived in South Carolina, my mother and I used to go to farms where we could pick out own. Those were hands down the best I've ever had. Here in the west, however, I prefer nectarines. Peaches seem to have more of a tendency to be mealy.
Tips For Making Nectarine Cake
Cake Tips
Weigh the flour. This nectarine cake is very tender thanks to the buttermilk, and moist from the juices of the nectarines. If you add too much flour, the cake will be denser and not nearly as appealing.
The butter should be room temperature for the best creaming with the sugar. That doesn't mean it's warm - it should be cool to the touch. Slice the butter into individual pats and add to the mixing bowl.
If you don't have a standing mixer, you can definitely making this with a hand mixer.
Turbinado sugar is raw sugar that's partially refined. It adds a little crunch to the top of the cake, and contributes a little molasses flavor as a bonus.
Serve this nectarine cake warm or at room temperature. If you want, sift a little confectioners sugar on top before serving. And don't forget scoops of vanilla bean ice cream or gelato.
Nectarine Tips
If the peaches are better in your area, feel free to use them in place of the nectarines in this recipe.
You can peel the nectarines (or peaches) if you want to take the time to do it, but this is a rustic dessert and I think it's best with the fruit unpeeled.
Purchase freestone nectarines if you can. This means the fruit comes off the pit very easily. Semi-freestone means some of the fruit will stick to the pit.
Don't use nectarines that are too soft, as they'll collapse into more of a sauce while the cake is baking. I have my best success with nectarines that are firm to the touch, yet press gently in at the area around the stem.
Pile the nectarines onto the batter along with any juices. It's fine if they lay a little on top of each other. As the cake rises and expands, they'll fill in the spaces. More is better in this case.
If you're not a fan of nutmeg, play with spices that work for you. You can increase the allspice or add cardamom.
Allow the cake to rest for at least 10 minutes before releasing it from the baking pan.
Recommended Equipment for Making a Nectarine Cake
Baking This Nectarine Cake at High Altitude
Baking at high altitude is not the same as baking at sea level. Because of the dryness in the mountains, we need to add a little more liquid to recipes. And to allow for the difference in air pressure, yeast and chemical leaveners need to be adjusted down.
That said, this is a very forgiving cake for moisture, thanks to the juices from the nectarines. Additionally the weight of the fruit on the batter keeps the cake from blowing up too much from the leaveners. This recipe is a modified version of this one on Food52, but I made no changes in either the liquid or leaveners.
Farmhouse Nectarine Cake with Blueberries
Ingredients
- 4 medium just ripe nectarines, or peaches unpeeled
- ⅓ cup fresh blueberries
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6.7 ounces (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, also called raw sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F and butter the bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom, press it on the bottom, and butter it as well. Cut a long length of parchment paper and press it around the sides of the pan. This is a moist cake because of all the fruit, and it can be difficult to release from the pan. The parchment paper prevents this problem.
- Cut the nectarines into bite sized pieces. Toss with nutmeg, allspice and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- Using a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and remaining sugar until fluffy, about 5 - 6 minutes. Mix in the egg, buttermilk and vanilla extract.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk it several times to evenly disperse the chemical leaveners throughout the flour. Pro-Tip: Weigh the flour for the best, most consistent result. I find that even carefully measured flour is more flour than weighed. Adding too much flour results in a denser cake.
- Shift the speed of the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix only until the flour is mostly incorporated, and finish with a rubber spatula. Over-mixing flour into a batter causes a tougher cake. The batter will be very thick and somewhat lumpy.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan using a rubber spatula. Use the spatula to evenly spread it across the bottom of the pan. Spill the nectarines and blueberries onto the top of the batter, including any juices, and gently press in. Don't worry if the fruit is on top of each other in places. As the cake bakes, the batter will rise up and around it, and the nectarine chunks will settle across the surface and into the cake. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top, if using.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 325˚F. Bake for an additional 55 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. The center will be the last part to cook, so only check around that area.
- Place the pan on a cooling rack, and cool for 15 minutes before removing the side of the springform pan. Gently peel off the parchment paper from the sides. This is a tender cake, so you might not be able to peel off the bottom parchment paper. Just slide the cake from the base of the springform pan.
- Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake
That looks amazing! Perfect use for fresh peaches 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much June!
The Ninja Baker
Oh, my what a gorgeous birthday cake for Isabel. Love the comparison to Cher and Madonna. You're right though, Isabel is a superstar =) And so are you, Susan =)
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Kim! You are the superstar, you Ninja Baker you. 🙂
Liz
Oh, this cake looks heavenly, Susan! Peaches are my favorite summer fruit and your dessert would rock my world! Perfect for a birthday celebration.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Liz!
Dorothy ShockinglyDelicious
All righty, that has MY name on it even though you made it for Isabel. I'm all over it!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Dorothy!!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Susan, your cake and photos are gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!!! I'm not a fan of surprises either - anytime someone tells me they have a surprise for me, it drives me insane not knowing what it is! But a surprise birthday party is always a good thing, especially when we're celebrating our beloved Isabel.
DB, Foodie Stuntman | Crazy Foodie Stunts
Fresh fruit desserts are always a good treat, birthday or not!
Cindys Recipes and Writings
I love, love, love peaches! A great idea for Isabel's party!
Gwen @simplyhealthyfamily
Who doesn't love peaches?? I know I do! I don't bake often but I will have to make this cake soon, very very soon!
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm
Your post made me smile. 40 yrs ago, okay 45 yrs ago when I made my first peach pie I didn't peel the peaches. It didn't occur to me. You don't peel peaches when you eat them LOL
Bobbi from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Oh Susan! This cake is not only gorgeous, it sounds AH-MAZING!!
cheri
Hi Susan, you did it again this is the perfect summer cake, looks so delicious!!!!
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness
Love all of the fruit in here! I have yet to buy peaches, but to make this cake.. I think I might need to. Love this!
lucie
What an absolutely beautiful cake! If somebody make this cake for me for my birthday id be absolutely DELIGHTED! Happy birthday Isabel!
Laura Dembowski
This cake sounds perfect! I love anything with lots of peaches. I'm not a big fan of surprises, but I'm with you that a virtual surprise party sounds great!
Renee
That cake is simply heavenly. I have to make it. It looks divine.
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere
This cake reminds me of a blueberry cake my Grandma used to make! I bet the combo of peaches and blueberries would be amazing!
Catherine
What a beautiful summer cake....It sounds delightful. xo, Catherine
TerriSue
Oh Susan, Is this cake ever so good. Made it tonight for my husbands last day of vacation. We were horrible and had it for dinner! Some days are just like that in the summer. I did two things different, I peeled my peaches, (can't stand peach skin), and I used raspberries for the blueberries as I had just picked some up at Costco and they looked so pretty. Worked out just fine. So much easier than a peach pie which is what I generally do with peaches. This goes together so fast! The thing that took the longest was peeling the peaches. This will now be a regular in my Summer dessert rotation. Thank you for finally posting it.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so excited that you made it, TerriSue!! And so, so happy that you and your husband loved it so much. I can totally, completely understand how you had it for dinner, LOL!! I agree, the peeling process takes awhile. Another option is to use nectarines. Nectarines are essentially peaches that have been altered for the skin. If you don't mind nectarine skin, then you don't have to peel them. Thanks so much for letting me know!! You've made my evening 🙂
TerriSue
I had nectarines. I guess I'm old school. I remember when they came around. My mother always baked with peaches, and we ate nectarines out of hand. I've been doing it the same way also for forty years. The taste is similar but I still prefer a peach when baking. I used to go to the trouble of boiling water to dip the peach in and then slip the skin off. In the summer that is hot and the fuzz on the peach seems to cling all over you. Then two years ago I found a soft skin peeler that looks like a regular potato peeler but has serrated edges. You can slice a peach in half and then peel the skin off quite quickly. It works for any fruit with a soft skin. It's funny because I never use a potato peeler as I can peel a potato quicker with a knife, but not a peach.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'll have to check out that peeler! I really appreciate the tip. I've seen them, but didn't realize they could be used to peel stone fruit so well! Thanks so much 🙂
Laura
Sure I should make this myself, but honestly, at the moment, I'd prefer just to pull up a chair to your kitchen table and have a piece with you, sipping an iced tea. Oh, and we can toast Isabel, who is a true visionary.
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life
This looks AMAZING! What a delicious cake...I could definitely go for a slice of this right now!
Ellen
Help, I'm in the middle of baking, and can't find WHEN to add the allspice!
Maria
Can you use frozen peaches?
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I haven't made it with frozen. My biggest concern would be how much addition liquid they might add to the cake. I'd thaw and drain them of excess liquid first. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it went!