Peach Pudding Cake

Let me preface this post with this thought: I don't like cake. I just really kind of am bored by most cakes, so a cake has to be really special to make it on my list! Its the texture of this one that makes it stand out for me.

This one I found on www.shelteriffic.com, and being a pie-maker, I had to add spices to my peaches. I actually put nutmeg in mine as well as cinnamon, but I wouldn't recommend that because it overwhelmed the peaches just a tad. Anyway, this cake is a little bit along the lines of a pineapple upside-down cake--you put the fruit on the top, and as it bakes it falls through the batter and ends up on the bottom. The edges of the cake get wonderfully chewy like brownie edges. I wholeheartedly recommend making this wonderful summer desert!

Peach Pudding Cake
(adapted from Hyde Park Bar & Grill recipe as seen in Bon Appetite, August 2007)

Ingredients:

Nonstick veggie oil spray
1 3/4 plus 2 tbs all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temp
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 tbs vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
4 cups peeled & sliced peaches (about 3 pounds)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13X9X2 inch glass baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
2. Whisk flour, baking poder, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until smooth.
4. Gradually beat in sugar.
5. Beat in vanilla, then eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition.
6. Using low speed, beat in flower mixture alternately with buttermilk in three additions each, beating well between additions.7. Transfer batter to baking dish, spreading eavenly.
8. Arrange peach slices over batter, overlapping slightly as needed. Spray sheet of foil with vegetable oil spray; cover cake with foil, spray side down, and seal at edges.9. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil (some cake may stick). Bake until top is golden brown, edges are crusty, and tester inserted cinto center comes out clean, about 40 minutes longer.

Cool one hour. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream.