A delicious recipe for Butter Cake with Peaches and Raspberries, with step-by-step photos. Plus a review of The Cook’s Atelier cookbook.
I received a copy of The Cook’s Atelier cookbook to review, complimentary from the publisher, but the content, opinions, and photos below, are my own.
The Cook’s Atelier
My husband’s family live in the far north-western corner of France in a region called Brittany. In summer, we often make the long journey by car from Zurich, a trip which takes us through the scenic Loire Valley with its romantic vineyards and impressive castles.
But before we reach the Loire Valley, we first pass through the picturesque Burgundy region and frequently make our first overnight stopover in the little town of Beaune.
It was in Beaune some years ago that I came across the The Cook’s Atelier, a delightful kitchenware store which had me exceeding my shopping budget before we had even arrived at our destination.
Madeleine tins, balloon whisks, French rolling pins, vintage wooden boards … you are unlikely to leave empty-handed. And if your suitcase and credit card limit will allow, The Cook’s Atelier also sell their own line of copper pans from Mauviel, as well as an envious selection of wine.
The Cook’s Atelier is owned and run by Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini, a mother-daughter duo from the United States who had always dreamed of living in France.
However, The Cook’s Atelier is not just a culinary boutique; their French cooking classes attract visitors from near and far, and their 5-day workshop has been on my wish-list for the longest time!
The Cook’s Atelier Cookbook
The Cook’s Atelier recently released their own cookbook and, although I probably already own most French cookbook titles out there, there is something about a beautifully photographed cookbook which makes me forget that I already have too many recipes for Croque Madame.
It is a hefty book with lots of timeless French recipes, carefully organised by the seasons and with lots of practical advice.
When I first received the book, I skipped straight to the summer chapter and their Butter Cake with Peaches and Raspberries immediately caught my eye.
Butter Cake
A really good and simple cake recipe to have up your sleeve is one for butter cake.
Although it is called a “butter cake”, it is actually not rich in butter like, say, a pound cake. A butter cake is essentially a plain, vanilla cake which can be made unadorned to highlight the simple ingredients.
But this butter cake recipe lends itself really well to the addition of fruits, and you can add almost whatever fruits you like, depending on what is in season.
Butter Cake Recipe
This butter cake recipe comes from The Cook’s Atelier cookbook. I have adapted it slightly so that I can make it with my KitchenAid, and the main change I made was to use special blood peaches in place of normal yellow peaches.
I unwittingly bought these red peaches at the farmers’ market one day and was immediately taken by their ruby redness and subtle sweetness. I have since been trying to make the most of their limited season, which is generally in the month of August in the northern hemisphere.
#bloodpeaches from the #farmersmarket at Bürkliplatz #zurich ❤️ pic.twitter.com/xvyQr0cr8O
— Thanh (@eatlittlebird) September 8, 2018
These red peaches come from France and their variety is called Pêche de Vigne (or Weinbergpfirsich in German). When halved, they have the lovely flesh of white peaches but with a brilliant red wine stain on the outside. The Pêche de Vigne have the sweetness of normal peaches, but with the slight tartness of raspberries.
Ordinarily, I would not cook with such (expensive) limited edition fruits because they should really be enjoyed eaten simply as they are.
But I went a bit overboard with my fruit purchases this week, an unwise move considering that we are going away in a few days. But as I had my eye on this butter cake recipe, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try it with a few blood peaches. And the result was amazing!
How to Make a Butter Cake
This is an easy and simple butter cake recipe, more so because I use my KitchenAid to do all of the mixing.
What I love about this recipe is the use of crème fraîche which gives the cake a soft and moist texture.
You can make the cake plain and serve it simply with a dusting of icing sugar, or add some seasonal fruits to make it a bit different each time. Some suggestions include:
* peaches, thinly sliced
* nectarines, thinly sliced
* plums, thinly sliced
* apricots, halved
* raspberries
* blueberries
* mixed berries
* rhubarb, sliced into short lengths like in this cake
You could even stir chocolate chips through this batter for a chocolate-chip cake!
Win a Copy of The Cook’s Atelier Cookbook!
Thanks to the lovely people at ABRAMS, you can win a copy of the The Cook’s Atelier cookbook!
It is a stunning cookbook with over 100 recipes, beautifully photographed by Anson Smart, an Australian photographer who is well-known for his work in Donna Hay and Gourmet Traveller magazines.
This giveaway is available only to participants in Europe.
To enter, simply leave a comment below and tell me: what is your favourite French cake, dessert or pastry?
Entries will close on Friday, 14 September 2018. The winner will be announced shortly thereafter.
Bonne chance!
**UPDATE: The giveaway is now closed and the winner has been notified by email. Thank you to everyone who entered!**
Butter Cake with Peaches and Raspberries
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8 to 10
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
A delicious recipe for Butter Cake with Peaches and Raspberries, with step-by-step photos. Recipe adapted from The Cook’s Atelier by Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini.
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RateIngredients
- 115 g (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 150 g (½ cup plus 3 tablespoons) caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 vanilla bean, deseeded
- 250 ml (1 cup) full cream milk
- 60 ml (¼ cup) crème fraîche or sour cream
- 220 g (1 ½ cup) plain flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 medium peaches
- large handful of raspberries
- 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (see Kitchen Notes)
- icing sugar (powdered sugar) for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F) (without fan).
- Line a 23 cm (9 inch) springform cake pan with baking paper, and grease the sides with butter.
- Place the butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
- Cream the butter and sugar using the flat paddle attachment.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla seeds.
- In a jug, whisk together the milk and crème fraîche (or sour cream).
- Measure the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
- With the stand mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture to the batter, followed by a third of the milk mixture.
- Lightly beat until everything is incorporated.
- Repeat steps 8 and 9 until you have a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
- Thinly slice the peaches. I like to cut the peaches into quarters, and then cut each quarter into 4 thin slices, so that I have 16 slices per peach.
- Arrange the peach slices on top of the batter in an overlapping, circular pattern.
- Sprinkle the raspberries all over the cake.
- Sprinkle the vanilla sugar over the fruit.
- Bake the cake for about 45 minutes, or until it is lightly golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack.
- Sprinkle with icing sugar (powdered sugar) just before serving.
Kitchen Notes
To make vanilla sugar, simply place a split vanilla bean into a clean glass jar, and fill it with caster sugar. Leave it for at least a few days for the vanilla to infuse the sugar. You can keep adding vanilla beans to the sugar over time to intensify the aroma.
VARIATIONS
Most seasonal fruits work well in this recipe. Some suggestions include:
* peaches, thinly sliced
* nectarines, thinly sliced
* plums, thinly sliced
* apricots, halved
* raspberries
* blueberries
* mixed berries
* rhubarb, sliced into short lengths like in this cake
OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Tartelette au citron merenguée will always be my favourite!
Definitely poire belle Helene
Lemony madeleines
Tarte tatin!
I feel like madeleine and bagette is totally French for me!
Definitely tarte tatin!
I fell in love with L’escargot chocolat pistache once… but can not
forget my old love: some good quality Canelés! ?
My favourites are
Dessert: Poire belle Hélène (vanilla, pear and chocolate are a hard to beat combo)
Cake: Galette des Rois (and collecting fèves is fun)
Pastry: Kouign-amann (crispy, buttery goodness)
Mille feuille!! A dessert I would NEVER try and make myself. ?
Lovely but in my oven needed 45/50 minuted
My favorite is always the super-homey gateau au yaourt — so simple and so good. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
I love making charlottes with Biscuits Roses de Reims and raspberries. My son’s favourite too!
Moelleux au chocolat!!! Oh la la!!!
La Galette des Rois traditionally eaten on the 6th January (Epiphany) – sooo delicious and, of course, we all secretly want to discover the feve (bean) in our slice and be awarded the golden crown to wear!
Cappuccino Souffle- not sure how authentic it is but amazingly delicious.
Tarte tatin for me…There is something so comforting to have the fruit and cake together in any recipe, but then the caramelly syrupy goodness is the exclamation point!
Tarte tatin as well!
Tarte au citron if that’s how you spell it. Sweet and tangy, buttery crust. It’s simplicity is where it excels.
Mmmmmm! I love Bretton Apple Cake.
For me it has to be clafoutis. Simple to make and so flexible – perfect with any stone fruit, peaches, plums, or my favourite cherries. Ideal just as a family pudding – or for a more decadent dinner party dessert – add Kirsch to the cherries or an almond liquer if using plums.
I long to try îles de flottante but my most adored, absolutely-cannot-resist-ever just has to be Paris Brest. I don’t much care for choux pastry but here as a vehicle for the purest, richest, nuttiest praline cream? It becomes my One True Ideal.
My favorite french (sweet) recipe is the flourless chocolate cake by Olivier Marchand. It only takes 4 ingredients, never fails, everybody loves it, it‘s easy to make and so versatile. You can eat it warm or cold, with ice cream, whipped cream, fruits and it even freezes well, either before or after baking. It is the perfect cake and a staple in our home.
Tarts Tatin and Canelés!
Has to be creme brûlée! Just can’t resist that crunchy top
It’s French Macarons
Hm, hard to pick one, but I think croissant aux amandes. Or eclairs, filled with pastry cream and topped with chocolate ganache..now I want one ?
I‘m in love with canelle. Unfortunately not able to make them at home. A wonderful fluffy croissant is always wonderful, too
My mother used to make a Gateau Basque, a simple cake with creme patissiere inside 🙂