Butter & Flour
Peach–Vanilla, Crème Fraîche Butter Cake
A tender butter cake layered with ripe peaches and perfumed with vanilla, finished with the gentle tang of crème fraîche.
Yield: 1 9-inch round or square cake (8–10 servings)
Ingredients
Cake
170 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
120 g (½ cup) crème fraîche
190 g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
Peach Layer
2 ripe peaches, peeled if desired, sliced
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and line a 9-inch pan with parchment.
Prepare peaches: Toss peach slices with sugar and vanilla. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, 3–4 minutes.
Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping bowl between additions. Mix in vanilla.
Fold in crème fraîche until smooth.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold into batter just until combined.
Spread batter into pan. Arrange peaches over the top, lightly pressing them in.
Bake 40–50 minutes, until golden and a tester comes out clean.
Cool slightly before serving.
Chef Notes
This cake improves after resting 30 minutes.
Serve plain, or with softly whipped cream or more crème fraîche.
Excellent warm or room temperature.
Brown Butter Corn Custard Tart with Blueberries
A silky corn custard enriched with brown butter, baked in a crisp shell and dotted with fresh blueberries.
Yield: 1 9-inch tart (8 servings)
Ingredients
Tart Shell
190 g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
25 g (2 tbsp) sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
115 g (½ cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg yolk
2–3 tbsp cold water
Corn Custard Filling
85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter
1½ cups fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
120 ml (½ cup) whole milk
120 ml (½ cup) heavy cream
3 large eggs
100 g (½ cup) sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
Finish
1 cup fresh blueberries
Flaky salt (optional)
Method
Make tart shell
Pulse flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and pulse to coarse crumbs. Add yolk and water just until dough forms. Chill 30 minutes.
Roll out dough, line tart pan, chill again 15 minutes.
Blind bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15–18 minutes until lightly golden. Cool slightly.
Brown butter
Melt butter and cook until nutty and amber. Cool slightly.
Blend corn, milk, and cream until smooth. Strain if you want an ultra-silky texture.
Whisk eggs, sugar, salt, and brown butter. Stir in corn mixture.
Pour filling into shell. Scatter blueberries evenly.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35–40 minutes until just set.
Cool completely before slicing. Finish with flaky salt if desired.
Chef Notes
Fresh corn is key — frozen won’t give the same depth.
The custard should wobble slightly in the center when done.
Serve chilled or room temperature.
Black Tea Ice Cream with Burnt Sugar Ripple
A rich, aromatic ice cream steeped with black tea and threaded with bittersweet burnt sugar.
Yield: ~1 quart
Ingredients
Tea Ice Cream Base
480 ml (2 cups) heavy cream
240 ml (1 cup) whole milk
5 black tea bags (Assam or Earl Grey without bergamot oil)
6 large egg yolks
150 g (¾ cup) sugar
¼ tsp kosher salt
Burnt Sugar Ripple
150 g (¾ cup) sugar
120 ml (½ cup) heavy cream, warm
Method
Infuse tea
Heat cream and milk until steaming. Add tea bags, cover, steep 10 minutes. Remove bags.
Whisk yolks, sugar, and salt.
Temper hot cream into yolks, then return to pot.
Cook gently, stirring, until custard coats a spoon (170–175°F).
Strain and chill completely.
Make burnt sugar
Cook sugar dry until very dark amber. Carefully whisk in warm cream. Cool.
Churn ice cream base. Layer churned ice cream with burnt sugar ripple.
Freeze until firm.
Chef Notes
Burnt sugar should be almost bitter — that’s the point.
Serve alone or with shortbread crumbs for texture.
Keeps 1 week, tightly covered.