Gâteau aux pêches et aux amandes

Fresh peaches work best here because the batter is thin and cannot absorb much extra liquid. If you only have canned peaches, drain them very well and pat the wedges dry before arranging them on the batter. Frozen peaches should be thawed and drained the same way, otherwise the cake stays damp right under the fruit.

The batter is quite firm, so sinking usually means it was over-mixed or the butter got too warm and the mixture loosened. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy, then fold in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt only until combined. Arrange the peach wedges on top of the spread-out batter rather than pressing them in, and they will stay visible while baking.

You can replace the 25 g ground almonds with the same weight of all-purpose flour, but you lose the nutty flavour that pairs with the peaches and the sliced almonds on top. Ground hazelnuts are a closer substitute and keep the batter moist in the same way. If you skip nuts entirely, the crumb turns out a little drier and more plain.

Because of the fresh peaches, keep the cake covered at room temperature and eat it within a day or two; in a warm kitchen, store it in the fridge. Dust the powdered sugar on just before serving, since it dissolves on the moist fruit within a short time. Bring refrigerated slices back to room temperature so the butter-rich crumb tastes soft again.

You can grease the pan, line the bottom with parchment, and weigh out the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt hours ahead. The batter itself should go into the oven right after mixing, because the baking powder starts working as soon as it meets the moist mixture. Cut the peaches last so the wedges do not brown or release juice while they wait.