Cake for breakfast, count me in! This nectarine brunch cake is a breakfast treat, perfect for a special brunch. And although many of us aren’t hosting special brunch get-togethers these days, this brunch cake is worth every bite.
I use over-ripened nectarines in my brunch cake because it has the right amount of sugar from the summer sun. The over-ripened fruit has extra time to create sugars, making it extra sweet and juicy. This is when the fruit is ideal for baking. The more natural sugar in the fruit means I need to add less processed sugar to the cake batter.
Poppy seeds add a slightly nutty flavor to the cake and pairs really well with the stone fruit. They also add a little bit of saught after texture in an overall soft cake. Plus, if you’re anything like me, you find any excuse to add poppy seeds to the batter. I like them in loaves of bread, cakes, and sprinkled on my bagels.
Something I really enjoy about this cake is the simplicity of it. Using a stand mixer for the batter makes it extra smooth and is whipped up in just a short couple of minutes. The only reason for a longer prep time than 5 minutes is the need to preheat the oven.
I also love a low and slow bake. It helps reduce the chance of burning the cake, especially this one with the ooey-gooey fruit topping. One thing to note about the nectarine brunch cake is that it could be easy to overcook. If you’re using a cake testing stick, it may come out sticky from the fruit. My trick, leave a couple of spots of the batter uncovered by the fruit so that you can see if it’s beginning to brown or not. When it’s just barely over golden and the brunch cake no longer wiggles, it’s ready to come out of the oven. It’s best enjoyed warmed!
Nectarine Brunch Cake
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Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (additional for greasing pan)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 1 tbsp poppy seed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- ½ cup sour cream( (I used a lactose-free option)
- 2 cup nectarine, diced small
- ¼ cup sugar - for the topping
- 2 tsp flour - for the topping
- ¼ tsp cinnamon - for the topping
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350.
Using a large stand mixer and the batter attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Add the egg and ensure it’s fully incorporated with the creamed butter and sugar.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt.
Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture and begin to mix the batter together slowly. As it’s mixing, add in the sour cream. Speed the mixture up a notch or two and mix for 30 seconds or until fully combined.
Lightly grease a springform pan with a little butter. Add cake batter to the pan, making sure it’s evenly spread.
Dice nectarine into small bits. In a bowl, mix together the nectarine, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons of flour, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon until the nectarine pieces are fully coated. Spread the fruit mixture over the cake batter.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, depending on the size springform pan you have. I used a 9 inch and it took roughly 50 minutes to bake.
Once out of the oven, gently run a knife around the cake to separate it from the springform pan. Open the latch and remove the outside pan. Allow the cake to cool before slicing.
