GINGER CAKES WITH WHITE PEACHES + BLACKBERRY COULIS
Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 9:40AM 
It's summer. And not to say I would turn down a stick-to-your-ribs piece of chocolate cake, but I feel good about this dessert. I will claim it as my current favorite. We made four, each ate one and while I'd normally give the rest away, these little babes are tucked away my fridge for this afternoon. I doubted them, thinking they looked like ginger egg souffles coming out of the oven, but looks can be deceiving. A zesty ginger angel food cake of sorts, with the tang of fresh blackberries and the warm sweetness of a ripe, white peach. It's not that any of the three components are show stoppers on their own, but together, the combination is absolute perfection. This dessert is a case in point, that heavy and rich is not always better. If I were serving this to other people, I would consider adding a very small scoop of good vanilla bean ice cream on top. However, for the sunny days of August, where it is just me and Hugh needing an afternoon treat, they are perfect as is.
My side note: a few of you think myself, Sara, take the pictures here on Sprouted Kitchen. I wish it were the case, I would love to have his talent, but Hugh is the genius who makes my cooking look even better than it actually is. He encourages me to make good foods, so he can take pictures like we have here; I am a lucky lady. Don't worry, I pay him with ginger cakes.
GINGER CAKES WITH WHITE PEACHES + BLACKBERRY COULIS // Makes 4 Small Cakes
Inspired by The Golden Door Cooks at Home by Dean Rucker
Tip: Egg whites are easier to beat when they sit at room temperature for a bit. As far as substitutes, you could use regular white sugar instead of what is listed below if that is what you bake with, and have on hand. I imagine they could be made gluten free with rice flour or a gf baking mix, but I haven't tested that myself. I like a lot of ginger, and found the below measurement to be pretty modest. If you make them, I'd love to hear your feedback on the ratio!
3 Extra Large Egg Whites (4 if any smaller)
1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
Pinch of Salt
1/4 Cup Natural Cane Sugar/Sucanat
1/4 Scant Cup Turbinado Sugar
1 tsp. Real Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Tbp. Fresh Grated Ginger
1/4 Cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 Ripe, Organic White Peach
1 1/4 Cup Blackberries
Juice of one Lime, about 2 Tbsp.
1 Tbsp. Honey
1 Tbsp. Half+Half/Heavy Cream
Oven to 350'
1. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt with a hand mixer on high until peaks form (about 3 minutes). They should quadruple in size. Once it's holding shape, continue beating it, while slowly sprinkling in the sugars. Beat in the vanilla extract and fresh grated ginger.
2. Using a rubber spatula, sprinkle and fold in the 1/4 flour, being careful not to deflate the egg whites.
3. Coat four, 4-6 oz. ramekins with natural cooking spray, gently divide cake mix between them. Place ramekins on a baking sheet, and put in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 14 minutes. Allow them to cool about 5 minutes, then remove them from the ramekin. * I give mine a good slam down on a cutting board, and flip them over, the cake comes right out.
4. While the cakes are cooking, blend the blackberries, lime juice, honey and splash of cream together. Taste for sweetness, as the quality/ripeness of the berries may require you to add a tad more honey, it should be tart.
5. Cut the peach in half, and in thin slices.
6. Assemble with one cake, a few spoonfuls of the blackberry sauce and some fresh peach slices.
Reader Comments (45)
I wish I was there to lick the batter! Those look and sound fabulous. And Hugh takes incredible shots!
Fruit desserts are my favorite. Love the color of the blackberry sauce!
The composition in each of the shots above is absolutely stunning. And the blackberry coulis looks delicious!
my goodness, this is gorgeous!! i know i'm making them pronto, been busy making peach desserts non stop for two weeks! and yes, you two make one great team - beautiful food and beautiful photographs.
Hugh and yourself are a (blog) match made in heaven!
this is all really average. that's what i'm telling myself to avoid hunger until james receives his cookies.
It is always so amazing to find new blogs. Cooking and photography is simply stunning!!
How beautiful! I love that it only makes 4 cakes. This sounds like it will be our TGIF dessert! :)
I'm not really sure how I stumbled across your blog, but let me tell you Sara I am soooo glad I did (I think it may have been in one of my desperate attemps to find inspiration in the kitchen - oh, and I sure found it here!). Love the blog and the photos that Hugh takes to go with it are superb. Thank you : )
Yummy!!!
These look wonderful. I can't remember the last time I purchased half & half or heavy cream-- I may have to seek some out expressly for the purpose of creating this recipe, though the ginger cakes sound delicious all on their own.
I love all things ginger! This looks like the perfect late summer treat! And you and Hugh outdid yourselves with the photos this time - GORGEOUS!
Can I come over this afternoon and eat the ones in your fridge?
i just ate. now i am hungry again.
hooray, now i know what to get at the farmer's market this weekend!
The cakes sound like the essence of August. Thanks for sharing such a perfectly timed recipe.
P.S. Tell Hugh his images are arresting, particularly those with blackberries in any of their incarnations.
um, these look fake - too good to be true. you two nailed this post! well done
Yum, blackberries with peaches are one of my favorite combinations! Beautiful photos, Hugh...love the white and especially the shot of the mixers with egg white, gorgeous!
It truly is blackberry season..........I love the coulis - its my favourite way to enjoy blackberries, with pancakes and waffles.........delicious
What a completely delicious looking summertime treat! Love the idea of ginger with those amazingly ripe and perfect summer fruits!
Beautiful pictures. Love the finished product, looks delicious.
[...] (to die for!). I don’t make many of these recipes as they aren’t Miles-friendly but the Ginger Peach Cake looks [...]
Wow - I never realized it was Hugh who took the photos! You two make a formidable team!
What a wonderful set of flavours. Beautiful presentation and photos too.
those pictures look so refreshing on a hot summer day...your hugh is really talented! i´ll give this recipe definitly a try!
These look divine. I need to get on the peaches before the season is out!
Gorgeous photos too by the way. ;) They make my stomach growl just looking at them.
Oy. Yum! Double yum.
So beautiful! I adore white peaches - my favorite! And the blackberry sauce is so pretty, what great color! And such wonderful phtos.
Beautiful photos, love the white peaches with the ginger cake and blackberry sauce, wonderful combination of flavors for a summery dessert.
What a delicious looking summer dessert! I actually have some half and half on hand from another treat that I was looking for a way to use up. Thanks for sharing!
While I always choose chocolate first, summer is one time that I do actually hesitate and almost want fruit. Since nectarines/peaches are my favorite fruit, this beautiful creation might jump to the top of my list.
what a deliriously talented team you both make, both in cooking and phtography, definitely a force to be reckoned with.
Congrats on your engagement and I can already imagine what beautiful kids you will have! ;)
And you're local, nearby, who knew?
What a gorgeous dessert. Sounds like a divine combo all around!
This is work of art! Absolutely stunning photographs, not to forget about the dish. I'm so inspired!
Blackberry and peach is one of my favorite combinations, and I love that you added ginger here. Also, I'm extremely jealous of Hugh and his photo-taking skills. You two make quite the pair.
It's a win/win situation; Hugh gets ginger cakes and you get a marvelous photog!
I love your outlook, the photography is original and the food delish
These pictures are truly lovely. They make me want to run out and take some photography classes and buy a new lens! Simply beautiful.
your photos ae ridicoulously COOL!!! Looooove the clean, fresh simplicity. An inspiration.
Gorgeous. I've been enjoying fresh blackberries from my community garden. The photo with the coulis on the spoon is fantastic. Your site is definitely a joint effort where both of your talents truly shine.
i don't know why i've never thought to make angel-food type desserts as individual mini cakes! i love everything about this recipe!
what gorgeous, gorgeous photos! wow! sexy fruit!
oh my - these little cakes look divine and I bet it just melts in your mouth! This will be a perfect way to use up my egg whites this weekend after making a lime tart!
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