For those sweet moments outdoors among the sun and the birds that need an extra kick!
After our discussion of death last week, I think it's right we lighten the air with this delicious summer harvest cake!
What I'm picturing with a cake like this is something sweet: a beautiful summer day, not a cloud in the sky, with plenty of lemonade or sweet tea to drink out on the patio. There on the table is none other than a delicious pan of fluffy, moist, and sweet squares of cake, all lined with peaches and apricots—wonderful little summertime fruits.
No matter who you're meeting with for a cake like this—lovers, friends, acquaintances, family—these fruits and the wheat of the flour in the cake, as well as the cinnamon sugar to sprinkle over top, make it perfect to invoke those feelings of love, beauty, ease, abundance, and friendship. I originally found this in Laura and Peter Zeranski's Polish Classic Desserts book, and I knew that it would be the most lovely thing just by reading the ingredients. Moreover, the batter itself is so simple that it's perfectly versatile with autumn fruits like apples and plums, too!
So let's talk a little bit about it.
Magic in Summer Harvest Cake
As it would turn out, a fruit like apricot is near exclusively for love—but consider also its fuzzy exterior, and its orange hide, and you can also draw plenty of energy to soften people's spirits and heighten creativity. Peaches, too, are so sweet and refreshing in the summer, and all the more so, they invoke those feelings of beauty and love that make a normal picnic outside seem like something out of a movie. I'd plan a luncheon for Fridays during the waxing moon and set up some delicious drinks, like a floral or herbal tea, to match its intentions.
While you never would've thought a peach could be such a heavy hitter, you see it now in the associations it has. In this meal overall, Venus is the dominant planetary rule, and water the majority element—though earth and fire round it out, along with a touch of the sun's shiny optimism. Whip up this cake for any summer picnics where you, your guests, and your intentions can soak up the love, beauty, and lucky energy baked under layers of cake and sweet summer fruit.
Chicken Mushroom Risotto
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 50-60 minutes
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
3 small peaches
4 apricots
1 1/2 cup (300g) sugar
3/4 cup unsalted, soft butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup (180g) flour
1 tsp (4g) baking powder
1 Tbsp (10g) cinnamon
Confectioner's sugar
Breadcrumbs
Directions:
Rinse, peel, and slice your apricots and peaches, then set aside.
Set your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
Cream your room temperature butter together with your sugar.
Add eggs, then beat together until smooth.
Add flour and baking powder, mixing until fully incorporated.
Grease a 9x12 inch baking pan, then coat with breadcrumbs.
Spread the batter into the pan, gently working it towards the edges.
Layer your fruits across the top in whatever pattern or style you like.
Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool, then dust with powdered sugar directly before serving.
This cake is so easy to put together, and quick, too! Definitely give it a try if you're looking to have some afternoon fun in this gorgeous end-of-May weather; paired with a sweet drink and plenty of good company, it's bound to be a hit! ♥
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Sara Raztresen is a Slovene-American writer, screenwriter, and Christian witch. Her fantasy works draw heavily on the wisdom she gathers from her own personal and spiritual experience, and her spiritual practice borrows much of the whimsy and wonder that modern society has relegated to fairy-and-folktale. Her goal is to help people regain their spiritual footing and discover God through a new (yet old) lens of mysticism.
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