Torn Peach Cake with Candied Almonds and Rosemary Needles

Imagine a cake bursting with the juiciness of ripe, torn peaches, their sweetness infusing every bite. Crowned with candied rosemary needles and almonds, this cake offers a delightful crunch and intensified flavor.

Whole wheat flour gives the cake a quiet complexity, making it perfect for a tranquil afternoon with a book in hand. Almond meal ensures the batter absorbs the peaches’ juices beautifully, making overripe peaches, or any mix of fruits, feel predestined. This recipe invites experimentation—pair a lone peach with berries or try plums for an equally delightful outcome. Serve each slice with sour cream, Greek yogurt, crème fraîche, or heavy cream for a rich, creamy contrast.

Perfectly Sized Cakes for Smaller Households

I love the size of this cake—not too much, just right for us empty nesters. It fits perfectly in an 8-inch or 9-inch springform pan and is incredibly easy to make. Another delightful cake of the same size is the Carrot and Clementine Cake, which offers an impressive twist on the classic carrot cake, and the Crunchy Upside-Down Apple Coffee Cake, a delightful treat with a satisfying crunch. These cakes are all simple to prepare and the ideal size for smaller households, making them perfect additions to your baking repertoire. Give them a try and enjoy these delicious, perfectly portioned cakes!

Enjoy the joy of cooking and make this cake your own, inspired by the inventive touch of Chef Clare DeBoer.

Robin Ward

Torn Peach Cake

A deliciously moist cake with ripe, torn peaches, crowned with candied rosemary and almonds, using whole wheat flour and almond meal for a perfect blend of sweetness and crunch.

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Servings: 8

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack, teatime

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

For the cake:

• 10 Tbsp unsalted butter plus extra for the tin (5oz, 148g)
• ⅔ cup light brown sugar (115g)
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup whole wheat flour (65g)
• 1 cup almond flour (125g)
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 2 ripe yellow peaches (about 14oz, 400g)

For the topping:

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter (about 60g)
• 4 Tbsp light brown sugar, divided (about 60g)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ heaping cup slivered almonds (about 75g)
• 2 Tbsp rosemary needles
• 1 Tbsp Turbinado sugar (for dusting on top during cooking)

Equipment

• 1 9-Inch cake pan (I used a spring-form pan. An 8-inch cake pan works too if you adjust the baking time accordingly.)

Method

 

1. Take the butter out of the fridge and heat the oven to 350 ℉. Butter a 9-inch cake tin and line it with parchment paper. (If using an 8-inch cake pan, make sure you have parchment paper handles to assist with lifting the cake from the pan later.)
   
2. Cream the butter with the sugar until it is fluffy and the color of a latte. Add the eggs one at a time, beating and scraping down after each addition. Ignore splitting.
3. Measure the almond flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt directly into the sugar/butter/egg mixture and stir to combine.
4. Spoon the batter into the lined tin (it doesn't look like enough, but it will be). Choose the two ripest peaches in your fruit bowl and, holding each one over the batter, tear it into pieces roughly the size of a pit. You might squash the fruit a little but the juices are dripping over the batter, so nothing is lost. Drop the peach bits onto the batter as you go. They will slump as the cake bakes leaving sweet stains in their paths. Bake for 25 minutes.
5. While the cake is baking, make the almond topping. Melt the butter and stir in 3 tablespoons of the sugar, the salt, flaked almonds and rosemary needles. After 25 minutes, open the oven and spoon this over the cake and sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of sugar and turbinado sugar (if using) over everything. Continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes until the center is firm and the crust golden. Let the cake cool slightly in the tin before lifting it by the side of the parchment paper and moving to a plate. Slice and eat warm.
6. Eat with sour cream, Greek yogurt, creme fraiche or pour on heavy cream.

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