peach polenta cake

stonefruit season!

i’m currently in stone fruit heaven surrounded by amazing cherries, peaches, nectarines, and apricots just begging to be used in baking

this is a riff on my cornbread deep dive from last year with the classic summer pairing of peaches and polenta (i.e. corn)

yields one six-inch cake or six muffins

ingredients

1 peach

1 tsp demerara sugar

35g butter, melted and cooled

45g greek yoghurt

45g milk

1 egg

20g caster sugar

0.25 tsp baking soda

0.25 tsp salt

0.5 tsp baking powder

50g plain flour

50g cornmeal (aka polenta)

method

finely dice the peach (1) and toss with the demarara sugar (1 tsp)

set aside to macerate while you prepare the batter

preheat the oven to 180°C

lightly butter your muffin or cake tin and place in the oven (yes, empty) to preheat

add the butter (35g), yoghurt (45g), milk (45g) to a blender and blitz to combine

add the egg (1) and blitz briefly to combine

in a medium bowl, stir together the caster sugar (20g), baking soda (0.25 tsp), salt (0.25 tsp), baking powder (0.5 tsp), flour (50g) and cornmeal (50g)

pour the butter egg milk mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients

stir together until just combined, then pour into the hot tin

sprinkle over the peach pieces

bake for 15 (muffins) to 25 (cake) minutes, until golden brown and slightly domed

best eaten warm from the oven