Sweet Cornmeal Cakes with Peaches and Cream
Published Aug 19, 2021•Updated Jul 02, 2024
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Tender, sweet cornmeal cakes are baked in a muffin tin and topped with syrupy fresh peaches and homemade whipped cream in Sweet Cornmeal Cakes with Peaches and Cream, a summery dessert that is great for a crowd.
By some mystery of time and aging, it’s so hard to get kids excited about fruit desserts but adults seem to love them. I only had eyes for chocolate desserts as a kid, but summer-loving grown-up Jess is all about the fresh fruit. Every summer I buy so many blueberries and blackberries for cobbler, tons of strawberries for shortcakes, and this year boatloads of peaches for this new favorite. I’d love to tell you that one of these desserts successfully converted my kids to the fruit-dessert camp, but it wouldn’t be true. But I’m definitely a fan.
We added a small amount of bourbon to the whipped cream in this dessert – bourbon goes so well with peaches. However, feel free to skip it if the kids in your life want to eat this one!
What Makes This Recipe Special
This recipe is a peach-centric twist on strawberry shortcake. Instead of strawberries, it uses peaches. Instead of classic biscuit-style shortcakes, it uses lightly sweetened corn muffins. Corn, peaches, and bourbon – their flavors work incredibly well together. But what really makes this dish extra special is the homemade whipped cream. Don’t skip it!
How to Pick Ripe Peaches
Be sure you get nice ripe peaches for this recipe. When combined with sugar, they will release flavor, creating a sweet peach syrup that soaks into the cornmeal cakes. Look for peaches that are very fragrant and have a small amount of give when you squeeze them.
This recipe will also work with canned peaches. If you’re looking for a great tutorial, I love this article with step-by-step instructions and lots of tips on canning peaches.
Recipe Tip
I like a combination of sliced peaches and finely chopped peaches for these cakes. The finely chopped peaches create more syrup, but I love a few bites of whole peach slices. Any shape will work just fine. I strongly recommend peeling the peaches first. They’ll release more juice that way.
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Sweet Cornmeal Cakes with Peaches and Cream
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
- Mixing Bowls
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Stand or Handheld Mixer
Ingredients
Cornmeal Cakes:
- 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour (95g)
- 1 1/4 cups Yellow Cornmeal, finely ground (210g)
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup Sugar (100g)
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 cup Light Buttermilk
- 1 Tablespoon Demerara Sugar, for topping (optional)
Peach Topping:
- 6 large Peaches (see note)
- 1/4 cup Sugar
Bourbon Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup Heavy / Whipping Cream, very cold
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Bourbon (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 177°C.
- Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Prepare peaches: While the oven is heating, peel and chop peaches. Combine with 1/4 cup sugar and stir well. Set aside.
- Make shortcakes: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Melt butter until hot (in the microwave or on the stove). Whisk white sugar into melted butter. Add eggs until fully incorporated and frothy. Whisk in buttermilk until smooth.
- Pour liquids over dry ingredients and gently fold together. Do not overmix (it’s okay if some small lumps remain).
- Spoon cornmeal batter into prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar (if using). Bake until a tester comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes.
- Make whipped cream: Combine cream, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and bourbon. Use a standing mixer or hand mixer to beat on high until the cream is thick and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Slice each shortcake in half and spoon mashed peaches and syrup over the bottom half, pressing down a bit with a spoon to help the syrup to soak in. Top with a few of the larger peach slices and whipped cream. Place top half of the shortcake on top and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
