I know it’s fall now and peaches and blueberries are probably the last thing on your mind, but I just had to share this cake. I honestly couldn’t even decide if I should really call this a cake because the method for making it is so unique and the end result is some amazing hybrid of a cake, pie, and cobbler all rolled into one. The dough portion of the cake is made in the food processor and then pressed into a springform pan. The center is filled with delicious fruit and then the whole thing is baked. The end result is part cake on the outside, and the portion under the fruit stays a bit gooey, reminding me of an upside-down cobbler. Whatever you want to call it, it is delicious and was very popular. The only drawback I suppose it that this cake is really best the day it is made, especially while it is still warm. Due to all the fruit in the center, a lot of juice comes out when you cut into it but the juice goes nicely with the scoop of vanilla ice cream you will surely serve alongside.
Ingredients
For the dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
16 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
For the filling:
¾ cup sugar
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca
5-6 peaches, pitted and cut into 8 pieces each
1½ cups blueberries
1½ tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
- 01
Preheat the oven to 375° F. To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse just to combine. Add in the butter chunks and pulse until the butter forms small bits about the size of peas. Add the eggs and vanilla and pulse again until the dough clumps together and forms a ball.
- 02
Transfer the dough to a 9-inch springform pan. Press the dough evenly all the way up the sides of the pan, and cover the bottom completely. Chill the pan in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
- 03
Stir together the sugar, flour and tapioca in a large bowl. Mix in the peaches, blueberries and lemon juice, and toss gently to coat the fruit. Spoon the filling into the prepared pastry dough. Cover the pan loosely with foil. Place the springform pan on a baking sheet in case any juice leaks out during baking.
- 04
Place in the oven and bake until the filling is bubbling in the center and the crust is golden, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack and let cool at least 20 minutes. Carefully remove the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool until just warm, then cut and serve with vanilla ice cream as desired.
Source
adapted from Food Gal, who adapted it from Gourmet, August 2005