We are so excited to welcome Chef Steve Konopelski, from Turnbridge Point in Denton, back on the show.
We’re hanging out in the Kirby and Holloway Kitchen as he keeps our mouths watering all day long.
He is showing us how to make a Peach Upside-Down Cake, and a Caramel Poached Peach Cheesecake.
Peach Upside-Down Cake
Caramel and Fruit
- 8 oz granulated sugar
- 3 oz water
- 3 oz unsalted butter
- 3 medium sized peaches, halved, pitted and cut into 6 equal pieces
Cake Batter
- ½ lb unsalted butter, room temp
- 330g granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, room temp
- ½ t vanilla
- 215g All Purpose Flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ t kosher salt
- 4 oz good quality vanilla yogurt
- ¼ C heavy cream
Directions:
- Cream butter, salt and sugar in bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla one at a time. Mix on low speed until combined.
- Add wet and dry ingredients alternately, beginning and ending with the dry. Set batter aside.
- To prepare caramel, put water and sugar into a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until sugar is a light to medium amber caramel. Lower heat and gradually add butter, whisking constantly until the butter is all incorporated and emulsified. Remove from heat and pour into greased baking dish. (you may also prepare the caramel in an oven safe sauté pan which you will then bake your cake in).
- Arrangepeach slices in pretty pattern and allow caramel to cool. Pour cake batter over caramel and peaches.
- Place dish or pan onto parchment lined sheet pan to catch any juices or overflow. Bake in preheated 325°F oven. Cake is done when a cake tester inserted comes out clean, cake is golden brown and springs back when pressed.
- Remove pan from oven and immediately invert onto plate or cake stand. Allow to cool completely before cutting.
- Meanwhile make butter sauce. Place 1/2 Cup granulated sugar in sauce pan with just enough water to moisten the sugar; should be the consistency of wet sand. Cook sugar until it’s a light amber caramel, the color of honey. Slowly add 2 cups of Peach Nectar. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add another 1/2 Cup of granulated sugar. Cook until liquid has reduced by half. Lower heat and whisk in 3 oz (6 Tbsp) of unsalted butter until smooth and glossy. Pour butter sauce over cake. Devour!
Peach Cheesecake
- 1 lb cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ C plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- ¼ C sour cream
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
- For the peach compote
- 8 oz granulated sugar
- 3 oz water
- 1 Tbsp of good quality honey
- Splash of lemon juice
- 3 oz unsalted butter
- 3 medium sized peaches, halved, pitted and diced
Directions:
- Place cream cheese in bowl of food processor fitted with a blade attachment.
- Pulse until soft and smooth. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl frequently during the entire batter process. Add in sugar and pulse again until smooth.
- Add eggs and pulse until well blended. Finally add sour cream and vanilla bean paste and pulse again until smooth and well blended. The entire process should take about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour batter into fine mesh strainer set over clean bowl or 4 cup liquid measuring cup. Stain batter to remove any lumps. Do not press remaining
lumps thru. - Divide batter evenly between 12 glass or ceramic vessels. (jars, ramekins, or
similar). Bake vessels in a hot water bath set into a preheated 300°F oven. Bake
until cheesecake has set thru, about 20-30 minutes. Cheesecake will puff up
slightly and should be firm to the touch. - Remove from oven and let cool in water bath until vessels are cool enough to touch. Remove from water bath and continue to let cool until room temperature, and then cover cheesecakes with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator overnight. The next day, top with Caramel Peach
For the Peach Compote
- Place water, honey, sugar, and lemon juice in medium sized sauce pan. Cook until sugar is light brown caramel color. Lower heat and whisk in butter until caramel is emulsified. Add diced peaches, stirring frequently. Allow peaches to poach in caramel until they are tender, but not mushy, about 10 minutes depending on ripeness of the peaches. Remove from heat and strain peaches, reserving juice.
- Place peaches in clean bowl for storing. Whisk reserved juice as it cools to maintain emulsion. Store peaches and peach juice in refrigerator until ready to use.
- To assemble, top cooled cheesecake with a generous helping of poached peaches. Drizzle with the reserved juice. Enjoy!
