The Browning Version: Browned-Butter Nectarine Cake

     Arranged by twos as peaches are,
at intervals that all may live --
     eight and a single one, on twigs that
     grew the year before -- they look like
a derivative;
     although not uncommonly
the opposite is seen --
nine peaches on a nectarine. 
     Fuzzed through slender crescent leaves
          of green or blue or
          both, in the Chinese style, the four

     pairs' half-moon leaf-mosaic turns
out to the sun the sprinkled blush
     of puce-American-Beauty pink
     applied to bees-wax gray by the
uninquiring brush
     of mercantile bookbinding.
Like the peach Yu, the red-
cheeked peach which cannot aid the dead,
     but eaten in time prevents death,
          the Italian
          peach-nut, Persian plum, Ispahan

     secluded wall-grown nectarine,
as wild spontaneous fruit was
     found in China first.  But was it wild?
     Prudent de Candolle would not say...

          -- Marianne Moore, from "Nine Nectarines"

Browned-Butter Nectarine Cake

A plethora of nectarines, the desire for cake made with beurre noisette -- sometimes inspiration strikes early in the morning.  This cake is not your light-crumbed fluffy high-riser; instead it's buttery, dense and slightly chewy with crisp edges --  the best elements of pastry and cake.  The sprinkling of light brown sugar on top provides a crunchy, sugary crust surrounding the fruit.  If you prefer a softer top, it can be omitted. 

2 1/2 sticks (10 oz.) unsalted butter
3/4 cup light muscovado or light brown sugar
3/4 granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. best-quality vanilla paste or extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1- 2 tsp. salt (this depends on how salty a kick you like in your desserts)
1 pound nectarines (about 4), each fruit sliced into approximately 12 wedges, for a total of 48
2 Tbsp. light muscovado or light brown sugar for sprinkling on top

Browned Butter Glaze (optional)

1/2 stick (2 oz. unsalted butter)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 or 2 tbsp. milk, or enough to make a thick glaze
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Butter and line two 8 or 9 inch round layer pans with parchment, then butter the parchment as well. 

Whisk together  flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.   Melt the 2 1/2 sticks of butter over medium heat.  Cook slowly until brown, stirring all the while.  If the butter burns a little, strain it to get rid of the dark sediment -- the butter will still taste good.  If it burns a lot, toss it out and begin again.  Let the butter cool to room temperature -- it should begin to solidify.  Beat it in a large bowl with both sugars until creamy.  Add eggs, beating them in one at a time.  Beat in the vanilla.  Lightly stir in the  flour mixture until just blended.  Divide the mixture between the two pans, spreading it lightly and evenly over the bottom of the parchment lined tins.  Arrange 24 nectarine slices in circles over the top of each cake; sprinkle them each with a tablespoon of  light muscovado or light brown sugar.  Bake for about 35 minutes; start testing them at 25 to make sure they're not browning too quickly.  Remove when a toothpick or cake tester comes out more or less clean; cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan.  They are delicious as is, or drizzled with the optional browned-butter glaze. 

For the glaze, brown the smaller quantity of butter as you did for the cake, and strain if necessary.  Stir in confectioners' sugar and milk to make a thick but pourable glaze.  Add little pinches of salt until it tastes just right to you.  Drizzle over the cooled cake if desired. 

Yield:  2 cakes -- one for home and one for workmates or neighbors, or one for now and one for the freezer. 

Comments

[Bakerina]

Nectarines *and* beurre noisette? Julie, you're killing me here. In the best way possible, of course. :)

If you have any surplus nectarines -- I never seem to -- Sophie Grigson has a fabulous recipe for nectarines on toast, in which you take a slice of bread or two, toast them, butter them lightly, top them with sliced nectarines, top the nectarines with more butter and brown sugar, and then run them under the broiler. You have to be really careful and let it cool down enough to eat, so that you don't burn your palate. Somehow I've never quite got the hang of that...

[rowena]

Damn! Absolutely gorgeous photo that fed right into my eyeballs and appetite. OK, gotta add nectarines to the shopping list.

BTW, I made your Potted Chicken when my son was over visiting and he loved it!

[becky]

This looks incredible. I HAVE to make this cake! The smell of butter browning is one of my favorite things in the world.

[Molly]

Just gorgeous, Julie. I *adore* brown butter, and mmm, there's nothing better than knowing I'll have an extra cake to stash in the freezer. It's time to start hoarding for winter, you know?

[Melissa]

Wow, oh wow. Rustic yet elegant - this looks so beautiful, and sounds so delicious. Some things just cried out to be made NOW! (I especially love the directions instructing the maker to add salt to taste - all dessert recipes should include that!)

[Gia]

Absolutely mouth watering. Perfect turn out from the pan.

[Julie]

Jen -- I'm definitely going to try nectarines on toast. What a delicious breakfast, maybe with a side of ricotta cheese...

Rowena, let me know how the cake comes out when you make it in Italy...I'm saving one of the two that I made, since we're having a houseguest this week...and I'm so glad your son loved the chicken!

Becky and Molly, if you love brown butter, you do have to make this cake. Even the smell of the batter is intoxicating -- and when it comes out of the oven, the rich, nutty scent could knock you right out. Molly, you're right -- I need to make room in the freezer so I can start hoarding...

Melissa, you and I are on the same wavelength about the salt kick. To my mind, the lusciousness of the brown butter flavor is heightened by a good little dose of salt!

Gia, you made this already?? Wow. I'm so glad it came out well for you!

[emily]

That looks amazing!

[tanvi]

That looks lovely, Julie! Mmm, I think I need to go buy some nectarines this weekend and get baking!

[Julie]

Emily, thanks for stopping by. I have a houseguest right now, so we saved the second cake to share with her for tonight's dessert. It was even better after a couple of days, especially after it was reheated for a few minutes. From your blog I can tell you like to bake -- I don't think you'll be disappointed if you give this a try.

Tanvi, I wish I could tell everyone to go buy nectarines and bake this cake immediately. We have half a cake left after tonight's dessert, and I'm already thinking about a slice for breakfast tomorrow -- with a good cup of coffee...mmmmm. I think I'm going to have to bake these again this weekend, too.

[becky]

Julie, I made this cake this morning and it was absolutely LUSCIOUS. I didn't make the glaze bc I am out of powdered sugar. But it didn't need it. I did, however, add some extra browned butter on top. Thanks for a recipe that I'll definitely make again!

[Luisa]

Wow - I'm going to the farmer's market NOW for nectarines to make this - thank goodness there are still some left! Seriously, it looks yummy beyond belief. Thanks for posting the recipe!

[Julie]

Becky, I'm so glad you enjoyed this. Both our cakes are gone, so I'm planning to bake it AGAIN this weekend.

Luisa, all I can say is you won't be sorry!

[Melissa]

Julie, Julie... I told you I wouldn't be able to resist, and having a bag of slightly less-than-stellar nectarines wasting away on my counter I thought I'd give your cake a try. Here's what I did: I had quite a bit of leftover (salted) caramel from my macaron orgy, so I coated the bottom of a tatin pan with about a cup of it and laid the nectarine slices on top. I then covered them with a half recipe of this cake batter and baked it. While still hot I unmolded it onto a plate and drizzled the top with the remaining caramel, which melted and soaked through the nectarines and into the cake, making the whole thing even more moist and luscious. It was unbelievable - like I had gon to beurre-noisette-caramel-nectarine-tatin heaven. Thank you.

[Alanna]

You've been 'tagged' for the 23/5 meme. Participate at your pleasure! Alanna

[rowena]

First off... I tried your recipe and WOW, you've turned me on to yet another 'good thing' {forgive me if I sound Martha-ish}. I didn't even need to put the glaze on... it was so good all by itself.

RYC: It's a pity that chestnut desserts aren't so popular in the states. I know of that MontBlanc dessert that you mentioned---the ones they make here look like a mass of brown noodles (inside) or whatever your imagination might make of it. Not very appetizing to look at. Anyhoo, I would like to give chestnuts a try since we're just loaded with them now!

[bright]

thank you! i needed a nectarine recipe to deal with some neighbor issues i'm having. i can smell them baking now... and i thought i invented that nectarines on toast thing a couple of months ago! i should've known!

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