nectarine cake

It took me so long to convert this Italian recipe into US measurements that I suddenly felt the pain that Julia Child must have had while writing Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Cups are total nonsense, why can’t we just weigh our flour on a little scale like the Europeans do? Alas, these are questions that will never be answered. (Manu’s dad still cracks up when I tell him I am 5 feet and 5 inches tall. In Italian they say “thumbs” for inches. “Feet and thumbs!” He howls with laughter.) 

That being said, this cake is delicious. 

Nectarines seem to be in season now, as I’ve seen them at almost every fruit vendor in the center of town. Though the ones I bought were hard, they turned out to be deceptively sweet and juicy. Dust some powdered sugar on top before serving, with some good tea, and you have yourself an impressive, “Look how domestic I am!” dessert for company.

Nectarine Cake 

(Inspired by Benedetta Parodi's "La mia torta di mele")

2 big nectarines

2 egg yolks

3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 grams)

3 1/2 tbs butter (50 grams)

1/2 cup milk

1 1/4 cups flour (180 grams)

1 tsp baking powder

salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the yolks with the sugar. Melt the butter and add half of it to the eggs. Add the milk, flour and baking powder plus a pinch of salt. Mix until combined. Pour into your baking dish (I covered my dish with parchment first). In the meantime, slice the nectarines into thin half moon slices that you can press into the batter so that only the top skin part shows. (Does that make sense? Look at the photos and you’ll see what I mean.) Before putting the cake in the oven pour the rest of the melted butter on top and sprinkle with about a teaspoon of sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until it looks golden on top.

Buon appetito! :)