The Procrastinator MasterBaker

It's been a solid 4 months since my last post (I try not to overwhelm my disciples with too much of my wisdom) With that, here is today's offering, an upside down peach ginger pound cake. 

Summer fruit include's some of the best fruit out there. Cherries, Nectarines, Plums and the star of the show, Peaches. I'm a bit freaky and I prefer my stone fruits hard. (Do I really even need to make the obvious joke about myself here?)

I went for a peach in my fridge today and it was way to soft and ripe, no way in hell I was gonna eat them now. The only obvious choice was to make some sort of cake out of these ripe, soft, dripping in suckle, glorious peaches.

I love pineapple upside down cake and can't resist a pound cake, so I merged those 2 cakes today and because it's me and quite frankly, I border on having a drinking problem, found a way to include alcohol. 

Alright, that's enough, here is the recipe. Make it. Or don't. I'll get to my next post in the next 4 months or so. 

Upside Down Ginger Peach Pound Cake 

Heat oven to 300 degrees and make sure you have your oven rack in the middle

You can either spray a bundt pan with Pam and hope it comes out (mine did just fine but I'm a risk taker) or you can butter and flour your bundt pan 

3 ripe peaches, remove the skin and cut into slices 

4 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup dark rum

Melt the butter in a pan and add the brown sugar till it's all melty and gooey add the sliced peaches and either gently stir or swirl your pan letting the peaches get coated in the sugar and cook, add rum and stand the fuck back and let those peaches flambé. Remove from heat and let cool 

For the cake

*make sure that your eggs, butter, milk and cream cheese are at room temp, they will blend together better and you'll end up with a much better cake and feel superior in your kitchen and impress all who know you*

3 cups cake flour (AP will work but cake flour is better)

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons ground ginger 

Put these 3 ingredients into a bowl and mix it up with a fork or a whisk or whatever, set aside

In a 2 cup measuring cup (or a small bowl if you don't have one) 

add this stuff

4 large eggs and 2 large yolks 

1/4 cup milk 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Mix these up with a fork or a whisk, I really don't care, just make sure you mix this stuff up. 

In a standing mixer (I am in a deep, committed, loving relationship with my Kitchen Aide)

Add this stuff

3 sticks of unsalted butter 

6 ounces cream cheese

Mix these things together really, really, really, REALLY well, make sure there are no lumps.

Then to that add

3 cups of sugar

Now beat the hell out of it, let it get all fluffy and light, don't you worry, it wants to get beat. 

Scrape the sides of the bowl and slowly add the egg, milk and vanilla mixture. This part will actually look kinda gross and curdled but its ok, we will move past it.

Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, scrape that bowl and give a final mix with your rubber spatula. How fucking gorgeous is this batter now?

Good, now try to keep up.   

Carefully and gingerly (see what I did there?) spoon the peaches into the bottom of the bundt pan and pour the remaining syrup into the pan.

Pour the cake batter evenly into the bundt pan and place into oven. 

Take the rum and make a Pina colada or 7 cuz this thing needs to bake for about 100-120 minutes, rotate the pan halfway through baking. 

Check the cake at 100 minutes and if it is still jiggly, it obviously needs more time. If it's not jiggly, stick a cake skewer or toothpick or something like it in half way, if it comes out looking wet, let it bake longer, if there are a few crumbs sticking it should be ok. I trust that you can figure this out. 

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. I dare you to try to not pick some of the top off to eat as it's all warm from just getting out of the oven, its fucking amazing. 

Then invert your cake onto a cooling rack and let cool for 2 hours. 

Now obviously this should be served with some vanilla ice cream. This cake is great warm out of the oven, delicious when served cooled to room temp and it's pure sinful seduction when eaten after its been chilled in the fridge for a couple of hours. 

If you end up making this, don't bother me with any questions, I have a difficult time getting back to people I know and like. Just send me pictures of your beautiful work.