Peach Pound Cake

This is an absolutely delicious cake that's wonderful to make when peaches are in season. It can also be made with frozen peaches, which I may have to do this winter for a taste of late summer!

If you're using fresh peaches, they'll need to be peeled and chopped. The easiest way to peel them is to submerge them in boiling water for a minute, then run them under cold water so they're easy to handle. The fuzzy skin will peel right off, often in one large piece like this:



Pit and chop the peaches, then set them aside.

A stand mixer makes pound cakes easy to whip up - these cakes require a lot of mixing so it's nice to be able to walk away for a moment while the mixer does its work.

Start by creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (In pound cakes, it's VERY important to use REAL butter. NOT margarine. NOT some other butter substitute. Only butter will give you the desired result in this cake.) Then add the eggs one at a time, and beat well after each one is added.



Beat in the extracts.



In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add it to the batter, alternating between the flour mixture and the sour cream.



(You can just leave the mixer running while you do this!)



Stop the mixer, and fold in the peaches.



Pour the batter into a greased and floured tube or bundt pan.



Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool for 15 minutes in the pan on a wire rack.



Remove the cake from the pan to cool completely. If you like, you can dust the cake with powdered sugar. I just like it plain, with a glass of milk or cup of coffee!

For more great baked goods, visit the Ultimate Recipe Swap, What did you Bake Today? and a Themed Baker's Sunday. There are more recipes at Food on Fridays, Friday Food, Foodie Friday and Save Room for Dessert, This Week's Cravings.

Peach Pound Cake
2 cups fresh or frozen diced peaches
1 cup butter, softened (no substitutions)
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sour cream

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to batter alternately with sour cream. Fold in peaches.

Pour into a greased and floured 10 inch tube or bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes; remove cake from pan and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serves 12-16.