On my last trip to San Francisco I made my way to the Ferry Building to do some shopping, and have lunch with a group of friends. While wandering through the shops we discovered what is now one of my favorite bakeries in the country, Miette. Filled with charming cakes and cupcakes, elegant pastries, and wide array of crisp cookies and dainty confections, a visit to Miette can soften the hardest of hearts. We carefully chose our treats, and left Miette toting cute little boxes tied with ribbon. Miette is owned by Meg and Christopher Ray who first started the bakery in Berkeley, CA  at the Berkeley Farmer’s Market, prior to opening their first shop at the Ferry Building. They now own four shops in the San Francisco Bay area.

Miette is probably the most charming book I have ever owned. Literally. Written by Meg with Leslie Jonath, and beautifully photographed by Frankie Frankeny, this would make a great addition to any cookbook collection. Miette’s Tomboy Cake graces the cover, and the pages of the book have a lovely scalloped edge that immediately has you smiling, and wondering about the recipes that lie within.

Yes the book is pretty, but it is also filled with the wonderful recipes from the Miette Bakery. Meg does not spare attention to detail here.  All the recipes also include the techniques and instructions needed to achieve the same results that they have at the bakery, in your own kitchen. Meg’s instructions are very detailed, and with a few tools, the average home baker can produce the same treats that come from her shops.

I honestly kept changing my mind about which recipe I would share with you, because in all honesty I wanted to make them all. I was recently gifted with a jar of local honey, and thought that the Honey Tea Cake would be a great thing to make from it. I was right. The cake is rich and moist. Drizzled with the honey syrup at the end, it is a perfect afternoon tea cake.

 HONEY TEA CAKE

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

8 large egg yolks

2 whole eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup plus 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup honey, warmed and diluted with 2 Tablespoons of water to make a syrup

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

Liberally butter and flour four 5 x 3  or  two 8 x 4 inch pans. Tap out the excess flour and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, into a bowl and set aside. In another bowl stir together the egg yolks, whole eggs, cream, and vanilla.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients and the sugar. Mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Reduce the speed to low, add the butter and half of the egg mixture, and beat until incorporated (about 2 minutes). Raise the speed to medium high and beat for 2 minutes to add air to build structure. Return the speed to low, add the remaining egg mixture. and beat until just incorporated (2 to 3 minutes longer).

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until the tops are a golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean 20 – 25 minutes for small loaves, and 35 – 40 minutes for the larger ones.

Transfer to wire racks and immediately brush the tops or drizzle with the honey syrup. Allow to cool in the pans for 20 minutes. Run an off set spatula or knife around the edges of the pans, invert the cakes onto the racks and allow to cool for another 20 minutes. Serve right away or wrap the cakes tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature until ready to serve. The cakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can also wrap it in a second layer of plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, leave in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours, or on the countertop for 1 to 2 hours. Serve at room temperature.

When I decided to write about this book it didn’t even occur to me that it would be posted any time near the 4th of July. Here’s to happy accidents because Warren Brown’s United Cakes of America is a wonderful tribute to the baking traditions of our country. I smiled when I discovered the first words written in the book were a pledge, that started with the words  “We the people who love cake …” Definitely a pledge I can sink my teeth into

It isn’t just about cake either, Warren defers to local favorites and specialties. Vermont for instance is represented by a Maple Crème Brûlée, and Maine by the Whoopie Pie. All throughout the book are wonderful little tidbits about each state. When I got to the section about Oklahoma I knew I would have to bake the cake that he chose to represent my state a Pecan-Peach Upside-Down Cake. It’s loaded with fresh peaches and nuts, and it’s just downright delicious!

Pecan-Peach Upside-Down Cake with Brown Sugar Glazed Pecans

Re-printed from United Cakes of America by Warren Brown Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang

This is just a slight variation from the original recipe with the addition of the Brown Sugar Glazed Pecans.

Ingredients:

For the Peach Topping

Fresh peaches – 2.5 pounds peeled, halved and pitted

Cinnamon – 1/4 teaspoon

Nutmeg freshly grated – 1/4 teaspoon

Unsalted butter – 3 ounces (6 Tablespoons)

Superfine granulated sugar – 2 ounces (1/4 cup)

Light brown sugar lightly packed – 2 ounces (1/4 cup)

Kosher salt – pinch

For the Pecan Cake

Dry ingredients:

All purpose flour – 10 ounces (2 cups)

Baking powder – 1 1/2 teaspoons

Nutmeg freshly grated – 1/2 teaspoon

Wet ingredients:

Milk – 1/2 cup

Sour cream – 1/2 cup

Vanilla Extract – 1 1/2 teaspoons

Creaming ingredients:

Unsalted butter – 4 ounces (1 stick)

Superfine granulated sugar – 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups)

Pecans – 3/4 cup

Whole eggs – 3

Egg yolks – 2

Brown Sugar Glazed Pecans

Butter – 2 Tablespoons

Brown sugar – 1/4 cup

Chopped pecans – 1/2 cup

*Bakers note: Grinding the pecans ahead of time is not necessary since they will get ground by the mixer.

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 335 degrees Fahrenheit and place the rack in middle position.
2. Toss the peaches, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large (12 inch) cast-iron or other heavy pan. Add the sugars, stir to combine with the melted butter. Remove from the heat and snugly arrange the peach halves in the skillet, flat sides facing up.
4. Measure the dry ingredients and wet ingredients into separate bowls. Whisk each to combine.
5. Combine the butter, sugar and pecans in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for about 3 minutes.
6. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time to the creamed butter mixture, allowing each to fully incorporate before adding the next.
7. Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients about a quarter at a time.
8. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 20 seconds on low speed.
9. Spoon the batter over the peaches in the skillet and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
10. Cool the cake for 15 to 20 minutes. Release the sides of the cake from the skillet surface using a heatproof flexible spatula and invert on to a serving plate.
11. Place skillet back on the stove and melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the sugar, stir until melted and it starts to bubble. Lower the heat to medium and add the pecans. Stir until well coated.  Remove from heat and carefully sprinkle the glazed pecans over the cake.

This is best served warm with a glass of milk or a great cup of coffee. Enjoy!