Peachy Keen Breakfast Snack Cake & July's Apron Winner

Peaches are a big crop in the South--I'm sure you've heard of Georgia peaches, but I have to say the ones from the Carolina's fair just as well.  I've been busy this summer making jam (that's Peach and a Peach~Cherry combo) behind this luscious Peachy snack cake.

The peach is native to northwest China, where it was first domesticated, and is the largest producer of peaches.  From there it was brought to Persia and then, transplanted in Europe. Interestingly, it is classified along with the cherry, plum and almond; that's why I chose to make the Peach~Cherry jam and to add roasted almonds for a crunchy streusel on top of this treat!

Peachy Keen Breakfast Snack Cake
Roasted Almond Streusel:
3/4 cup whole almonds (I used ones with the skin on), roasted in the oven for 6-7 minutes at 350F-degrees, then chopped
2 T firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cardamon
2 T butter, melted
 
Cake:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (remove 2T of the butter for the streusel!)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (about 3 medium) diced peaches, peeled

I use a "tomato peeler" that you can find at Sur La Table to peel the peaches!

1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375F-degrees.  I used "cakelet" papers I found at The Container Store, but you can also make these into muffins.

In a small bowl, make the streusel; mix the chopped almonds, brown sugar, spices together, then, add 2 tablespoons of melted butter from the pan you used to melt the 1/2 cup of butter.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and oil together.  Add the brown sugar and stir together to combine.  Add the eggs and extracts and mix thoroughly.  Measure the oatmeal and all the dry ingredients and sour cream into the bowl and stir just to combine.  Lastly, add the diced peaches.

 Stir again to combine.

I filled 8 cakelets with the batter, spread it with an off-set spatula, then, sprinkled with the crunchy streusel.

Place the cakelets in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 350F-degrees.  Bake them for 22-24 minutes until a toothpick comes out cleanly when tested in the center.  If you are doing muffins, line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and don't lower temperature.  Bake 20-25 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out cleanly when tested in the center.  

I decided to add a simple glaze on top of my cakes:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' (icing) sugar
1 T light Karo Syrup
2 T very warm water

Mix all the ingredients together and use a spoon to dribble the glaze over the cakelets.

Serve warm from the oven...it's like eating peach pie for breakfast and who wouldn't like that?  Enjoy!

Now, the winner of July's apron is FindingPam!

Congratulations!  Email me your address and I'll get this lovely sent to you ASAP:-D