Name: Small-Batch Rustic Peach Cake
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) granulated sugar, divided; ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 peach, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into 8 wedges; ½ cup (2½ ounces/71 grams) all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon table salt; ¼ cup vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar; 1 large egg, room temperature; 2 tablespoons milk; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Why This Recipe Works

This cake is unmistakably summer, with a pretty peach pinwheel pattern on top, and it’s so simple to make—the perfect dessert on a lazy late-season day. We envisioned a moist cake, so we opt for vegetable oil instead of butter; unlike butter, oil doesn’t solidify at room temperature after the cake is baked and cooled. Using vegetable oil also eliminates the need for equipment to mix the batter. We scrape the batter into a 6-inch cake pan and arrange the peach slices that have been rolled in cinnamon sugar on top.

Before You Begin

Since overly ripe peaches will make the cake soggy, we recommend looking for a barely ripe peach, one that gives only slightly to the touch.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 6-inch round cake pan. Combine 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon in medium bowl. Measure out and reserve 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar. Add 1 peach, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into 8 wedges to bowl with remaining cinnamon sugar and toss to coat; set aside.

Whisk ½ cup (2½ ounces) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon table salt together in medium bowl. Whisk ¼ cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons packed light brown brown sugar, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in separate bowl until combined, then stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just combined.

Transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth top, and gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Arrange reserved sugared peach wedges in pinwheel pattern in cake batter, then sprinkle reserved 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over peaches.

Bake until top of cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.

Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely on rack, about 1 hour. Serve.