Nectarine (Peach) Oat Upside-Down Cake and Magic in the Ordinary
Peach Upside-Down Cake (and a stolen scoop of my dad’s ice cream)
Fruit and Oats are Healthy, Right?
A trip to my mom’s house inspired this week’s cake choice. My mom hasn’t been eating much lately, but she still loves her sweets. Naturally, she will eat a piece of cake. In choosing the Nectarine Oat Upside-Down Cake, I could sneak in some oats for fiber, fruit for vitamins and minerals, and some dairy. It’s healthy by no means, but it’s guaranteed to go over better than a pork chop.
Plot twist—I didn’t use nectarines. Despite having nectarine in the title, I used peaches—an abundance of sweet, fresh peaches directly from my friends’ tree, just at ripeness, begging to be plucked before the birds noticed. Julie Richardson, the author of Vintage Cakes, notes that apricots, pears, or apples would also qualify.
Making It My Way
This recipe was pretty straightforward—fruit in the bottom (which becomes the top), a thick, easy-to-whip-up batter, and a sprinkle of old-fashioned oats. It was almost like making a cobbler, but more indulgent.
I made a couple more substitutions in this recipe. I ground my own oats for the oat flour since it’s not one of my pantry staples. I also replaced the buttermilk with heavy cream curdled with some fresh lemon juice—an accepted substitution in the culinary world, but richer.
Peach Syrup For the Win
Unmistakably, the exceptional component in this cake was the peach syrup. I’m a big fan of anything that adds moisture to a cake, but when you add moisture with a sweet, fruity-caramely syrup, you are undeniably WINNING! This sticky liquid gold was the product of fresh peach drippings plus butter, heated to a perfect syrup.
The syrup was the first addition to the pan, thereby becoming a glaze for the peaches once flipped onto the serving plate.
One to Remember
I can’t stop thinking about this cake. Everyone loved it—my mom, who loves sweets, my sister who loves peaches, and my husband who doesn’t like fruit in desserts. It was a special treat, indeed—a truly cravable confection.
Remember the soured heavy cream I used to replace the buttermilk? I may, in fact, do this every time because I believe that made it extra dense and irresistibly moist.
And the peach layer? Oh, the peach layer! Fresh, juicy peaches and a buttery flavor-infused syrup were the crowning glory, with a little spilling over the sides. It amazes me that something that grows from the earth can become a magical dessert. Magic—that’s what it is.
Magic in the Ordinary—The Transcend Moment
Do you ever merely sit and wonder—find awe in the ordinary?
It seems rather simple-minded that I’m equating peaches to magic, but let’s look at the bigger picture. We too often take for granted the little things, even the things that sustain life (a big deal), like food. It’s unthinkably easy to go to the store and grab a box of this or a bag of that.
But what about picking something from a plant, and further, having planted the seed that grew into that plant and patiently awaiting the fruit? Or in my case, enjoying the generosity of friends who’ve shared their bounty. It’s truly a remarkable thing to take a plant from the earth to your plate and give thanks for the seed that fell, the sunshine, water, and warmth that beckoned it to develop, and your good fortune to harvest it.
While it seems this story is about the beauty of growing your own sustenance, it’s really about much more. It’s about discovery, finding spots of joy, and recognizing the magic that is part of our everyday world. Nature lights me up. When I’m immersed in nature, including enjoying farm-to-table food, I feel home. I’m thankful to have shared that with my mom, and I hope she felt it, too.
If you take something away from this, let it be a spark to go out and notice the little things. Take note of those that set you on fire and seek more of that.
There is joy and magic in front of us every day. We all have the choice whether to invite it in.