BUTTER CAKE
The fruit can be adapted,
depending on the season.
You could use stone fruits
and fresh berries in
summer, and barely
sautéed buttery pears
or apples in winter.butter cake with peaches
and raspberries
MAKES 1 x 23CM CAKE; SERVES 8 TO 10
1 cup (250ml) milk
¼ cup (60ml) crème fraîche
1 ¾ cups (220g) plain flour + more for pan
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
½ cup (115g) unsalted butter + more for pan
¾ cup (150g) caster sugar
1 large egg
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
2 medium peaches, halved, pitted and thinly sliced
¼ cup (30g) fresh raspberries
1—2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
1 Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Place a piece of baking paper
on a cutting board and set a 23cm round cake pan on top. Holding
the pan securely with one hand, use a knife to trace around the pan
to create a circle of baking paper to fit in the base of the pan. Butter
pan, then place circle in the base. Butter the baking paper. Dust cake
pan with flour, tapping out any excess.
2 In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and crème fraîche
3 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4 In a separate large bowl, use a wooden spoon to cream the butter
until soft. Add the sugar and continue creaming until well combined.
Add the egg and vanilla seeds and continue creaming until fully
incorporated. Alternately add flour and milk mixtures a little at a time,
mixing until smooth and combined.
5 Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and use an offset spatula
to spread it evenly. Arrange the sliced peaches in an overlapping,
circular pattern, being careful not to let the fruit touch the side of
the pan. Arrange the raspberries over and in between the peaches.
Sprinkle with the vanilla sugar. Bake until the cake is golden and an
inserted paring knife comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Set the
pan on a wire rack and let it cool completely. Serve.
This is an edited extract
from The Cook’s Atelier
by Marjorie Taylor and
Kendall Smith Franchini,
with photography by
Australia’s Anson Smart
(Abrams, $55).INSIDE OUT | 149