{Gluten-Free} End of Summer Nectarine Cake

Did summer pass by in a flash? It felt like it to me. We started back in early June with a last day of school beach visit, continued with a trip to Armstrong Woods, a pancake breakfast at the local firehouse on a rainy Sunday, then packed in lots of swims in the river and swims in various pools, two camping trips, and many hours outside. I always feel a bit wistful at season’s change — though not so much at the transition of winter into spring! — which I think means the preceding months have been good ones. Our summer certainly was. Today it’s a certain someone’s ninth birthday so we’ll celebrate with chocolate cake and a final weekend swim session. But to commemorate the end of what was really a very nice summer, I made a cake with the last of the nectarines, and it was the perfect way to bit adieu to summer 2022.

You can easily substitute another fruit here if you can’t get nectarines — apples would be perfect, or plums, or persimmons when they start coming in. I did a simple blend of wholesome oat flour with a bit of sweet white rice flour for binding and to give it that proper cakey crumb. It’s sweetened just with a half cup of honey in the batter and a Tablespoon of maple syrup for the fruit — the inherent sweetness of the fruit plus these natural sweeteners means the cake tastes plenty sweet but the amount is blessedly lower than in many cakes. This cake is also dairy-free with coconut oil and coconut yogurt (though – between you and me – I’ve also made it with sour cream and it is delightful). If you want to try it as a base for a vanilla layer cake I’d double the recipe, add a Tablespoon of pure vanilla extract, and up the honey to 3/4 cup per batch.

Now my thoughts are turning solidly to fall — pumpkin bread is coming up and I am wondering if I should experiment with gluten-free sourdough bread (this will be a slippery slope I fear!) and my recipe list grows longer every day, full of cozy loafs and all the holiday cookies. I love autumn, but I will look forward to next summer!

Til next time — N xx

Need substitutions? Try almond flour for the oat flour, tapioca starch for the sweet white rice flour, and maple syrup for the honey.

{Gluten-Free} End of Summer Nectarine Cake

Recipe by Nicole SpiridakisCourse: Dessert

Servings

10

servings

If you wish, substitute an equivalent amount of sour cream for the coconut milk.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, at cool room temperature

• 1/2 cup light/neutral tasting honey

• 2 eggs, at room temperature

• 80 g (1/2 cup) white rice flour

• 130 g (about 1 1/2 cups) gluten-free oat flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup coconut yogurt or sour cream

• 3-4 large nectarines, peeled and sliced

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions

• Place a piece of parchment in an 8-inch cake pan. Grease the parchment and sides of cake pan with coconut oil.
• In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, cream the coconut oil and honey until whipped, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, Beat in the vanilla extract.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweet rice and oat flours with the baking powder and salt.
• With the mixer on low, stir half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined. Stir in the coconut milk until just combined, then add the rest of the flour, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350º F.
• Now make the nectarines: in a cast iron skillet or large frying pan melt the coconut oil and maple syrup over medium heat. Add the nectarine slices and reduce heat to low, stirring them frequently until slices are soft and slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes
• Arrange the nectarine slices in the pan in concentric circles, having them slightly overlap each other if you can. Drizzle any remaining liquid from the pan over the fruit.
• Spread the batter evenly over the fruit in the pan.
• Place the cake in the oven and bake until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, the top is set, and the edges are slightly coming away from the pan, 40-50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cake cool completely in the pan on a rack, then invert onto a serving platter and peel away the parchment. Serve the cake at room temperature.
• Cake will keep, well wrapped in the fridge, for up to 5 days.