Peach Poundcake with Cardamon and Toasted Almonds
Three Loaf Cakes
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted and cooled (keep another ¼ cup handy, untoasted, to top loaves before baking)
16 ounces peach slices (I use frozen peach slices – they are already peeled and so easy to cut into small pieces while frozen)
12 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar (plus 3 tsp to sprinkle over loaves before baking – 1 tsp each)
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp fine sea salt
2 Tbsp ground cardamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
6 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla paste
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1) Toast the one cup almond slices in a non-stick skillet, shaking often, and then cool them completely.
2) Cut the peach slices into 1/2” chunks and let drain in a colander over a bowl.
3) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray three loaf pans with cooking spray and line with parchment leaving a one-inch overhang on all sides.
4) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt, cardamon and freshly grated nutmeg.
5) Cream the butter and sugar in a standing mixer 1-2 minutes until butter is light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, 1 egg at a time.
6) Add the vanilla to the creamed butter/sugar and mix to combine.
7) On low, add 1/3 of the dry mix, then half of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the dry mix, remaining buttermilk and finish with the final 1/3 of the dry mix.
8) Add the cooled almond slices and mix for 30 seconds to slightly break down the almonds.
9) Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the peaches with a spatula.
10) Divide the batter between the three pans. Sprinkle the ¼ cup untoasted almond slices over the batter and then sprinkle one tsp granulated sugar over each loaf.
11) Bake the cakes until a wooden skewer comes out clean – roughly 60 minutes.
12) Cool the loaves in their pans on a wire rack.
