Peach Maple Bundt Cake

Yesterday marked a very special day. One year ago I married the man who has been my best friend for the last eight years. We spent a long weekend in one of our favorite places to be. Paradise on Mt. Rainier.

His family has a little cabin nestled among the tall trees with a creek running through the back. It was a perfect weekend with sunny blue skies and temperatures in the upper 70's. We spent our time hiking, reading, relaxing, talking about things other than work. I love these times we spend in the outdoors. For me it means I get a chance to unplug and rejuvenate my mind and body. I am so very thankful that I have found a man I can enjoy these times with and who enjoys our outdoor activities just as much as I do.

Our actual wedding day included about a dozen beautiful homemade bundt cakes to serve our guests, ranging in flavors from raspberry and chocolate, to root beer and cinnamon and everything in between. I couldn't see having a traditional wedding cake when I never was much of a cake lover. Plus the pattern of each cake was unique and beautiful in a very rustic way. I think it only made sense for me to want to make another bundt cake to celebrate our first year together. And in a way, maybe this will be a new sweet little tradition of ours.

Peaches are all I could think about when deciding on the flavor of cake I wanted to bake. I wanted it to be moist, with a delicate crumb, not very sweet, but with lovely juicy peaches dripping out the side. What I made was actually very close to that. I've written the recipe below as I made it, but the only major change I would make to this cake is actually stirring in small peaces of peach into the batter rather than layering them. I think it effected the rise a little bit more than I anticipated. Other than that this cake is super moist and only very slightly sweet. If you want a sweeter cake I would suggest making a simple glaze and adding it to the top after the cake has cooled. I sprinkled on a little bit of raw sugar plus a few flowers to make it prettier.


Peach Maple Bundt Cake
serves 10-12

2 cups spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups peach puree, about 2 large ripe peaches, plus 1 peach cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons flax meal mixed with 6 tablespoons water or 2 eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter a 10-inch Bundt pan, dust with flour and tap out excess.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside.

Beat the butter until fluffy. Add flax meal mixture (or eggs if using), beating well. Beat in the peach puree, maple syrup and vanilla.

Pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture in three additions alternating with the yogurt, beating until just combined after each addition.

Pour 1/2 the batter into prepared pan. Place a layer of peach slices down then cover with remaining batter, smoothing over the top.

Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes. Let cool in pan upside down on a wire rack for 15 minutes. If it hasn't already pulled out from the Bundt pan, carefully remove and cool completely on wire rack before slicing and serving.

Serve with fresh whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or by itself. Store covered tightly for 2-3 days.