Video recipe of the week: Peach Custard Cake by Nathalie Dupree

Leftover crepe and pancake batters are responsible for many good desserts.

In this case, it’s a peach-laden batter cooked into a nearly custard, nearly cake, nearly pie. It is very simple and almost better than peaches and cream.

Cling peaches are wonderful for this recipe, as they are usually best when cut into pieces.Peach Custard Cake

Makes 1 (9-10 inch) cake
Ingredients

3 cups fresh peaches, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks or pieces (see cook’s note)

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

2 large egg yolks, beaten to mix

1 large egg, beaten to mix
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup all-purpose or cake flour

2 tablespoons rum, bourbon or other liquor (optional)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Cook’s note: To use frozen peaches, do not sprinkle with sugar. Defrost, save all the juices, and proceed with the recipe, using the full amount of sugar when beating the egg yolks.

Directions
Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter a 9- to 10-inch glass pie plate.

Taste the peaches. If they need sweetening, sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar and set aside.

Beat the remaining sugar with the egg yolks and the whole egg, using an electric mixer, until well-mixed and light.

Beat in smallish pieces of the butter, then the flour, beating after each addition until incorporated. Add optional rum, vanilla extract, milk and 1/4 cup of juices, if any, beating until the batter is smooth.

Pour a third of the batter into the prepared pie plate. Spoon the peaches over the batter. Top the peaches with the remaining batter. Bake for 30-40 minutes. The internal temperature of the cake should be 195 to 200 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Bake an additional 10 to 20 minutes if necessary to brown the top. A fork inserted in the cake should come out clean, but the cake will be bouncier in feeling and more like a custard than a traditional cake.

Cool slightly and serve in wedges from the baking dish warm, at room temperature or cold.

Can be refrigerated covered, for several days. Leftovers will freeze, but only for family use, not for guests.

Variation
Substitute 3 cups halved muscadine grapes, skin and seeds removed, pitted green grapes or berries for peaches.

Nathalie Dupree is the author of 11 cookbooks, most recently “Southern Biscuits.” She lives in Charleston and may be reached through Nathaliedupree.com.