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One-Skillet Brown Butter Stone Fruit Torte

Equipment

  • 8 or 10-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron)
  • Wooden spoon or a fork
  • Cutting board
  • Chef’s knife

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar plus more for sprinkling
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 peach or nectarine thinly sliced
  • 2 plums thinly sliced
  • 2 apricots thinly sliced

Substitutions

  • Butter—> salted butter works just don’t add salt later in the recipe. Coconut oil would also work, just melt it then turn off the heat (don’t try to brown it). Olive oil would also work to make an olive oil cake.
  • Sugar—> coconut sugar or brown sugar will work. I believe maple syrup or honey would also work but I haven’t tested it!
  • Eggs—> flax eggs would work if you’re vegan!
  • Almond extract—> I love the almond extract here. It’s one of my only ingredient changes from the original recipe. But vanilla extract also works! 1 teaspoon of lemon zest would be delicious if you don’t have an extracts.
  • Flour—> you can swap in 1/4 cup almond flour or use whole wheat flour instead.
  • Baking powder—> add an extra egg white!
  • Peaches plums, and apricots—> any combination of stone fruit works! All of one is perfect, but I love the look and taste of using several different kinds – some bites are purely sweet, some have a bit of tartness.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Add 1/2 cup butter to a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, swirling occasionally, until little bits of butter start to brown and the butter starts to smell nutty. Remove skillet from heat.
  • Stir in 3/4 cup sugar, then allow the mixture to cool for at least 10 minutes. Slice your fruit while you wait! Seriously, you have to wait 10 minutes. If you add your eggs now, you’ll scramble them!
  • Stir in 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon almond extract, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
  • Dump 1 cup flour on top, then add 1 teaspoon baking powder over the flour. Use your fingers or a fork to combine the baking powder into the flour, then stir it into the butter mixture.
  • Smooth the surface flat, then use a paper towel to completely clean the edges of the skillet.
  • Arrange 1 sliced peach, 2 sliced plums, and 2 sliced apricots over top however you wish. Sprinkle with sugar.
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a paring knife inserted into the cake emerges clean, or at least mostly clean. The cake might be a bit gooey-er than you’re used to because of the cooked fruit.
  • Allow to cool, then serve warm or at room temperature.
  • The cake releases much easier from the skillet when it’s warm, so slice it and transfer the slices to a serving plate while it’s still warm if you’re serving it later.