As we barrel toward what is arguably summer's biggest holiday, Seasoned Cooking is here to help. This week, instead of spreading out the site's posts, we're posting one a day until the holiday that, together, make a pretty solid holiday menu foundation. Today, we complete our menu planning with a Peach Cobbler Mini Cakes recipe that is sure to make you the recipient of a standing ovation at your Independence Day cookout.
You can opt to skip the filling on top of these cakes, the glaze over that, or the crunchy granola sprinkled over the very top of everything, but I highly recommend making it as is. Use excellent peaches. If fresh aren't hitting that mark, consider thawing and draining excellent frozen peaches. After all, they are doing some heavy lifting in this recipe and they really need to shine. Don't tweak the cake batter - this chemistry wants to happen this way.
Peach cobbler is quintessential comfort food and it makes sense that cakes bearing its signatures should be showcased at the end of your outdoor celebrations this week. Because, after all, Independence Day does tend to get a bit festive and the feast at the picnic table is definitely part of that tradition! Enjoy and Happy Independence Day!
Peach Cobbler Mini Cakes
- 2 c. finely chopped peeled, pitted peaches
- ¼ c. brown sugar
- ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 T. cornstarch
- 2 T. salted butter, melted
- 1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ¾ c. cake flour, sifted
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ c. sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract - or Trader Joe's Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste
- 1 T. peach preserves, warmed
- ½ c. powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp. lemon juice
- ¼ c. crunchy granola - without dried fruit
To make the peach filling, add the peaches, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a medium pot over medium heat. Stir together the cornstarch and butter until a paste forms; add the paste to the peach filling mixture and stir until combined. It will quickly start to thicken once added to the peach filling. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 325° F. Liberally spray 1-2 mini bundt pans with a non-stick baking spray that has flour. In your stand mixer bowl, add the butter and sugar; begin creaming on high speed until smooth, light and fluffy, which takes about 5-7 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed.
Turn your mixer to its lowest speed and slowly add the flour into batter in two increments; add the salt and baking powder after all of the flour has been incorporated. Avoid over-mixing the batter.
Finally add the sour cream and vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste, if you have it), scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until just combined. Fold in half of the peach mixture that was set aside by hand until it is mixed through.
Spoon the batter into the prepared mini bundt pans, filling each bundt cake cavity ⅔ full. If you need to make a 2nd batch, loosely cover the leftover batter and keep it at room temperature until your pan is ready to be used again.
Bake the mini bundt cakes for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes are lightly golden and spring back when lightly poked with your finger. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert the cakes on a serving plate for about a half an hour or until they are room temperature to the touch.
To make the glaze, mix together the warmed peach preserves with the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. If still too thick, add ½ teaspoon of water until it is pourable but still thick.
Arrange the remaining peach filling in the center of each mini cake, then drizzle with the glaze and sprinkle with the crunchy granola.
- Yields: 6-9 servings, depending on the capacity of your pan(s)
- Preparation Time: 1 hour plus cooling time