One layer, one pan, one simple batter-mixing session, and you’re ready to share a marvelously elegant and simply delicious Peach and Nectarine Torte. Peaches and nectarines, butter and brown sugar, plain or glazed: it’s a keeper you’ll love and make again.
This post and recipe were created for #SummerDessertWeek! I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies but as always opinions are 100% mine.
This Famous Beloved Cake
Make this cake once and I think you will be returning to it all summer long. It’s a long-time favorite from the New York Times, one of Marion Burros’s beloved recipes she published in the Times food section back in 1983.
People loved it then and now and I immediately saw what the fuss was about. I’m a true fan, for its lovable qualities of being made from easily found (on-hand usually for me) ingredients, quickly put together, variable by fruit, from the original using fresh plums, and elegant and easy to serve and take along for celebrations.
What is a Torte?
This question has many and varied answers, and little agreement although we can narrow it down a good bit. Tortes have European roots in traditional professional pastry and confections. Two main forms:
One is a dense, single-layer cake (lots like this one!), beautifully presented, and often made with little to no wheat flour and the use of ground nuts as part of the structure and flavor.
The other is a cake made of not one but many very thin layers, held together with jam, syrup, an icing, something gooey and good. Again, elegant, fancy, and worth of “Ahhhh!’s” aplenty.
At the end of the day, for me, they are still within the gigantic and good club of cakes. Don’t worry, just make this or something like it!
Best Pans for Making This Cake, or Rather, Torte:
The easiest way to make a torte is by using a spring form pan. Spring form pans have superpowers: They open up to release the cake’s sides from the pan, and they have a separate stand-alone base which can become a serving plate, or contribute to easy transfer of the cake or torte or cheesecake or ice cream cake or mousse cake, etc., to its serving plate destination.
If you don’t have a spring-form pan, do not despair! You can make this cake in a standard cake pan, although note that it will come out best in a deep cake pan with high sides. Shallow cake pans which are easiest to find and least expensive, cause cakes to rise up, to take a dome shape in the oven’s heat. Deep cake pans allow cake batter to rise evenly all over the cake.
So best bet: Spring-form pan. Good-enough: Deep cake pan with 2-inch or taller depth. If you use the latter, simply cool the cake for about 15 minutes, turn it out onto a plate, and then quickly place your serving plate on the now exposed bottom of the cake, and then flip it back over, so the cake’s top is now back up.
A Make-Ahead Winner
I made this cake a day ahead of serving, and kept it in the pan overnight, covered with foil in the fridge. It held up nicely. I removed it and let it come to room temperature before adding the glaze and serving. It keeps well.
And if you want to freeze it, wrap tightly so that it is airtight, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw completely and serve at room temperature. If you freeze it, do use the glaze or another icing or topping as its texture will be not quite as handsome as before freezing.
If you can, pour on the glaze as soon as it comes together and is thick and smooth, while it is very warm. Mine waited while I took pictures and therefore it’s fudgy and swirly. Still pretty and tasty, but if you want this smooth look, be ready to move!
I love the glaze, but remember: Not required! Feel free to leave it plain, or dust with confectioner’s sugar.
A side of chopped fresh peaches and nectarines, sweetened with a little brown sugar and a hint of nutmeg or cinnamon? A GREAT way to go, and easy peasey pretty too! Get those five servings of fruits in there, people!
(Pssst!Summer stone fruit lovers: It’s high season for peaches, plums, nectarines, pluots, apricots, all the colors and varieties. If you love stone fruit desserts, here’s another treasure: My Fresh Plum Sonker with Vanilla Milk Dip!
Great Glaze:
This glaze is so simple. Make it in one heavy pot, stir it up and pour it on the cake. It sets quickly, so best to make it right before you plan to use it.
However, if it sets before you are ready for it to do that, don’t despair!
Just return it to the heat, and aadd a little more evaporated milk or cream. Stir well and it will melt down and become smooth enough to pour. It sets like fudge and makes a great rich addition to the cake.
You could use dark brown sugar too for a deeper, richer look and flavor. You can’t go wrong here, and it’s a great finish for brownies and pound cake too.
Final Touch:
Whipped cream is a grand finale. I used brown sugar and almond flavoring, and I love how these notes of deep and surprising flavor add to the pleasure of each bite.
I make whipped cream within 2 hours of using it if I can. The longer it needs to wait, the harder, more firm and puffy I beat it, so it will have some sturdiness.
If the coolness of this bowl of whipped cream goodness gives you the chills in a good way, check out my recipe for Strawberry Icebox Pie. No baking, fresh-berry heaven, and a cool treat that waits in the fridge for your summer cookout crowd to finish to step away from the grill!
Plums, cherries, gooseberries, blueberries, strawberries — this cake is the place to play with fruit and use your imagination to vary it according to season and occasion. I hope you make it and love it as much as I do. Happy Summer Baking!
A Video Because We Need Some Science Here!
So while you are waiting for your torte to bake, or chopping up your nectarines and peaches, or making lemonade, here is a delightful 5 minute 31 second video about peaches and nectarines and why and how they got differentiated, from a fabulous instructor, Alex Dainis, Vlogger and Genetics Graduate Student, whose watch word is: “Go forth and talk about Science!”
I used products from these sponsors in this recipe:
Adams Extract: Vanilla Extract
Anolon: Advanced Graphite 9-inch Round Springform Pan
Dixie Crystals: Light brown sugar
Check out the amazing #SummerDessertWeek recipes from our bloggers today!
Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts:
- Brownie Ice Cream Sundaes from Desserts Required
- Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars from Family Around the Table
- Simple Watermelon Lime Garnita from Cheese Curd In Paradise
- No Churn Patriotic Funfetti Ice Cream from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- No Churn Lemonade Ice Cream from 4 Sons R Us
- Orange Julius Popsicles from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Summertime Pies:
- Key Lime Pie-sicles from The Domestic Kitchen
- Lemon Meringue Pie from Palatable Pastime
- Mississippi Mud Pie from For the Love of Food
Sweet Summertime Cakes and Cupcakes:
- Pineapple Coconut Milkshakes from Daily Dish Recipes
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pound Cake from Pastry Chef Online
- Beach Cake from Everyday Eileen
No Bake Treats:
- Banana Split Eclair Dessert from Big Bear’s Wife
Baked Desserts:
- Lemon Lavender Scones from Jen Around the World
- Frosted Cookie Bars from Miss in the Kitchen
- Easy Raspberry Lemon Crumble Bars from Who Needs A Cape?
- Peach and Nectarine Torte with Almond Whipped Cream from Nancie’s Table
- Cookie Bars from Back To My Southern Roots
- Bomb Pop Cheesecake Cups from Sweet ReciPEAS
- Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Coconut Congo Squares from Love and Confections
Candies:
- Orange Creamsicle Truffles from Sweet Beginnings
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Peach and Nectarine Torte #SummerDessertWeek
This wonderful cake recipe is based on the New York Times's most requested dessert recipe, published in the 1980's and still going strong. Simple to make, easy to take, it's lovely and variable according to the fruits you love/have on hand. Whipped cream is a natural companion, but consider ice cream, and know that it is just fine as is, no extra flourishes required.
Ingredients
Torte
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick/4 ounces)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups chopped fresh peaches and nectarines
Brown Sugar Glaze
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup half and half, or evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Almond Whipped Cream
- 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream or whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
For the Torte:
- Heat oven to 350 dgrees F., and generously butter a 9-inch spring form pan, or a deep nine-inch cake pan.
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a fork or whisk to mix well.
- Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter in the bowl of a mixer and beat well until fluffy and evenly combined, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping twice to scrape down the bowl.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating to mix each one in well.
- Add flour and beat at medium speed just enough to mix it in mostly, using a spatula to gently mix it in completely.
- Spread the thick batter into the prepared pan, spreading it out to the edges and smoothing to make it an even cake.
- Sprinkle the fruit all over the top of the cake.
- Bake at 350 for 45 to 55 minutes, checking to make sure it browns nicely; batter will rise up and obscure the fruit, which is fine; it's in there!
- Remove from oven and cool in the pan. (You can glaze while cake is still warm but not hot).
- Carefully transfer cake to a serving plate and serve at room temperature.
- To glaze the cake, pour the glaze over the warm or cooled cake and spread to cover top completely.
For the Glaze
- Combine brown sugar and butter in a heavy 1 quart saucepan.
- Place over medium to medium high heat and let butter melt, stirring to mix it with sugar.
- Add half and half or evaported milk and stir over heat to combine.
- Cook, stirring and scraping, until you have a lovely thick sauce, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Take pan off the stove and stir in the confectioner's sugar.
- Use a whisk to mix it in evenly and well.
- Add vanilla, scrape to mix everything well, and then pour glaze over cake, spreading quickly to the edges and smoothing it to cover the whole cake.
Almond Whipped Cream
- Pour cream into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until it thickens and puffs up into soft clouds, leaving a trail from the beaters.
- Add the brown sugar and and vanilla and beat, stopping to scrape the bowl, until the sugar dissolves into the cream and the cream is thick and fluffy and holds its shape, a minute or two more, depending on your mixer and how you like it.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with torte; or cover and refrigerate until needed, up to 1 day.
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Welcome to the 3rd Annual #SummerDessertWeek event hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife. This week-long summer time event is filled with some down right amazing sweet recipes from fantastic bloggers and we’ve got some great giveaways from our generous sponsors for y’all too!! We can’t wait to share all of these summer-themed desserts with you and celebrate sweet, sweet summertime all week long!
There are 45 incredible bloggers participating in this year’s #SummerDessertWeek event! Thanks to those bloggers, we have over 168 summer time sweet treat recipes being shared this week! Grab a few recipes to try out and don’t forget to enter the giveaway below!
Scroll down to take a look!
PRIZE #1
Dixie Crystals is giving away one (1)Keurig® K-Select® Coffee Maker
PRIZE #2
Prize #2 — Adam’s Extract is giving away – 1 Gift Pack – including Adams Poundcake Kit, Adams Best, Adams Lemon Extract, Adams Natural Food Color, and Adams Cinnamon Sugar
PRIZE #3
Prize #3 — is giving away a Wilton Gift Pack – including – Bake and Bring Geometric Print Non-Stick 13 x 9 -inch Oblong Pan, Bake and Bring Geometric Print Non-Stick 8-inch Square Cake Pan, Bake and Bring Geometric Print Non-Stick 8-inch Round Cake Pan, Peach Cobbler Candy Melts Candy, Blueberry Lemonade Candy Melts Candy, Orange Crème Candy Melts Candy, Key Lime Pie Decorating Icing Pouch with Tips, Orange Crème Decorating Icing Pouch with Tips, Pop Art Triangle and Solid Cupcake Liners, Geometric Print and Solid Green Cupcake Liners, Balloon Dog Icing Decorations, Assorted Brights and Pastels Sprinkles, Blue Sprinkles Tackle Box, Coral Sprinkles Tackle Box, DIY-Lish Mermaid Kit, DIY-Lish Candy Lollipop Kit and Disposable Decorating Bags with 1M Tips
PRIZE #4
Prize #4 — Sweets & Treats Boutique is giving away 1 (one) baking supply box including an assortment of sprinkles and cupcake liners as well as one of Love From The Oven’s recent cookbooks!
PRIZE #5
Prize #5 — Anolon is giving one (1) winner an Anolon Advanced Graphite 9″ Round Springform Pan & an Anolon Advanced Graphite 9″ Square Springform Pan
Giveaway open to US Residents 18 years or older. All entries will be verified. No PO Boxes Please. Prizes will be sent directly from sponsors to winners, bloggers are not responsible for prizes. This giveaway runs from July 7th – July 14th at 12AMEST. Winners will be selected soon afterward and contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. There are a total of 5 (five) prizes and therefore we will have a total of 5 (five) winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week-long event, #SummerDessertWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like to Thank our amazing sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Adam’s Extract, , Sweets and Treats Shop and Anolon ! These wonderful sponsors provided the prize packs for our giveaways and also sent samples and products to the #SummerDessertWeek bloggers to use in their recipes.
Let me say that I made this last night. It was delicious. Still a few things to point out. First off, when I baked the torte, the peaches did not completely sink into the batter and partially remained on the top. Wasn’t a problem so if it happens, don’t be concerned. The glaze was very tasty but a few of my testers thought it was too much as a glaze and might have been better as a drizzle where 1/2 to 1/3 of it were used. The cake was sitting on my counter completed and looking delicious and I did not have whipped cream or the ingredients, so I ate it anyway. It was very moist and was great without it but are not able to comment on it’s role in the dessert
Many thanks, Mark! Delighted to have your notes on this recipe and will keep them in mind! Happy baking to you…