The Kitchen Scholar explores the world of food and cooking beyond the levels of nourishment and sensory pleasure by intersecting with different stories that range from personal narratives to third-party perspectives in different academic fields and by promoting the legacy of culinary traditions and cookbook authors.

NECTARINE UPSIDE-DOWN CHIFFON CAKE

NECTARINE UPSIDE-DOWN CHIFFON CAKE

The Kitchen Scholar
Cakes

SOURCE: DORIE GREENSPAN. BAKING WITH JULIA: SAVOR THE JOYS OF BAKING WITH AMERICA'S BEST BAKERS.

Chiffon cakes experienced an American revival during the 1990s that their trendiness amid public paranoia on butter calories and their ubiquity among the cakes listed in the Spago Desserts cookbook fascinated Julia Child into recruiting Mary Bergin, Wolfgang Puck’s then-pastry chef and baker at Spago and author of the aforementioned book, for chiffon cake-themed episodes of Baking with Julia. Among the three cakes Mary baked for Julia on those two episodes, the ambrosial choice must have been her springy and sprightly upside-down lemon chiffon cake bisected by a crunchy and crumbly layer of almond and oatmeal streusel and topped with gorgeous nectarine slices imbibing the top cake layer with their own juices and glittering in the luster of caramel and butter.

Ingredients

Almond-Oatmeal Streusel Filling

1/4 cup/30 grams unblanhed whole almonds

1/3 cup/40 grams all-purpose flour

1/4 cup/60 grams packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon/3 grams ground Ceylon cinnamon

1 teaspoon/3 grams ground ginger

4 tablespoons/57 grams unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup/40 grams quick-cooking oats

Chiffon Cake

4 tablespoons/60 grams unsalted butter, cut into 3 or 4 chunks

1/2 cup/120 grams packed dark brown sugar

4 to 5 medium-sized nectarines, peeled and cut into 8 pieces

1 1/2 cups/300 grams granulated sugar

1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon/4 grams baking powder

1 teaspoon/5 grams baking soda

1/4 teaspoon/2 grams salt

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup/120 mL vegetable oil

1/2 cup/120 mL freshly squeezed lemon juice

6 large egg whites

Specific Equipment

Baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Food processor

Springform cake pan with a diameter of 10 inches/25 cm and height of 3 inches/7.6 cm

Aluminum foil

Medium-sized bowl

Sifter or fine-mesh strainer

2 large bowls

Wire whisk

Hand or stand mixer equipped with a wire whisk attachment

Spatula

Offset spatula

Cake rack

Serves 8 to 10

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°Ç.

2. Place the almonds on a baking pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, or until the almonds have slightly browned from toasting. Remove the baking pan from the oven and cool the almonds completely

3. Chop the toasted almonds, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, butter, and oats in a food processor for a few pulses or until the mixture is well-blended, rough, and crumbly. Spread the mixture back into the baking pan lined with parchment paper.

4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring the mixture a few times, or until the streusel has turned golden brown. Remove the baking pan from the oven to cool the streusel completely and set aside.

5. Toss the butter into the springform pan and set directly over medium-low heat until the butter has completely melted. Remove the pan from heat and sprinkle over the brown sugar evenly to completely coat the bottom, patting the sugar down. Lay over the nectarine slices in concentric circles to completely cover the layer of brown sugar. Wrap the bottom of the springform pan in aluminum foil to catch any butter and nectarine juices that might drip out during baking. Set the pan aside.

6. Sift 1 cup/200 grams sugar, flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl through a sifter or fine-mesh strainer. Whisk in the salt until well-blended and set aside.

7. Whisk the egg yolks, vegetable oil, and lemon juice altogether in a large bowl with a wire whisk until well-blended. Beat in the dry ingredients gradually, occasionally whisking, and set aside.

8. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks in a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer equipped with a wire whisk attachment. Pour in 1/2 cup/50 grams sugar gradually and continue beating to stiff and glossy peaks.

9. Scrape out one-third of the egg whites with a spatula and fold it into the egg yolk mixture to lighten the batter. Turn the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites and fold gently and thoroughly until well-blended.

10. Scrape half of the cake batter into the nectarine-lined springform pan. Smooth the layer with an offset spatula and sprinkle over the streusel filling, reserving a heaping tablespoonful for cake decoration. Pour in the remaining half of the cake batter and smooth the top with an offset spatula.

11. Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.

12. Remove the springform pan from the oven and cool over a cake rack for 25 minutes. Invert the springform pan onto a cardboard cake round or cake plate and release the clip to remove the collar of the pan. Serve the cake with a spoonful of whipped cream and a light sprinkle of the leftover streusel.

ROASTED PEACH GRATIN

ROASTED PEACH GRATIN
PEACH PHYLLO POCKETS

PEACH PHYLLO POCKETS