Peach and mint upside-down bundt cake {vegan}

(cliccate qui per la versione italiana)

As promised, here’s another upside-down cake: my very first bundt! Plus, it involves peaches, which is always a good thing. This kind of cake with a hole (that’s how I think of it) has fascinated me ever since I was little but for some reason I’d never tried making one before. Not that there’s anything special about its preparation, on the contrary, I think it bakes better and faster (which is always another good thing).

I really like the peach/mint flavor combination, and I’ve decided I will make a fruit tart version soon. Cooked peaches taste like the uber sugary peach juice I used to like as a kid, I wonder why. I love when peaches are in season because they’re one of my favorite fruits (together with mangoes, berries and persimmons – but I love all really!) and I eat them every single day! I bite into them, slice them, grill them, eat them in salads, in cakes and smoothies. I probably forgot something there, but I think you get the point…

Try this cake if you are looking for something airy, naturally sweet, spiced and if you want your house to smell delicious.

PEACH AND MINT UPSIDE-DOWN BUNDT CAKE {vegan}
by Marta Giaccone

Recipe
yields one 26cm/10in bundt cake
prep time: 15 min, cook time: 30 min, total: 45 min

2 + ¼ cups / 400gr flour of choice (I used spelt and rye)
2 tsp / 8 gr baking powder
2 tsp / 8 gr baking soda
1 tsp / 4 gr cinnamon, ground
1 tsp / 4 gr ginger, ground
3 tsp / 12 gr flax meal or ground flax seeds
1 cup / 250 ml milk of choice
½ cup / 125ml maple syrup (or other sweetener of choice) + extra
½ cup + 1 tbsp / 115gr coconut oil, melted
pinch salt
pinch vanilla
handful of fresh mint
4 peaches, ripe

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/375°F (170°C if fan-assisted)
2. Oil the sides of the pan. Pour 2 tbsp of maple syrup onto the bottom of the pan. Slice 2 peaches and arrange the slices in a circle.
3. In a small bowl add flax meal and milk; let sit in the fridge for a few minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
4. Chop the other 2 peaches. Chop the mint leaves.
5. In a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, spices and vanilla. Mix everything together.
6. Take the milk out of the fridge and add oil and maple syrup. Mix, then add the wet ingredients to the dry ones. Mix thoroughly. The batter will be quite thick.
7. Add the chopped peaches and mint to the batter, gently fold in, then pour the batter over the peaches in the pan.
8. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden. Check with a toothpick in the center (!) until it comes out clean.
9. Let cool for about 30 minutes, then gently shake the pan a little to let loosen the cake from the pan. If you’d like to even out the bottom, do so now with a long knife. (If the sides of the pan are higher than your cake, you should probably leave it as is or cut it afterwards to prevent making a mess and/or ruining the metal. I didn’t even it out). Eat the discarded bits!
10. (If using a pan with removable bottom, remove the sides.) Place a flat plate on top of the pan, then, using both hands, flip the whole thing upside down. The cake should remove itself from the pan bottom without any problems.
11. Enjoy! Store in the fridge, where it will keep for a few days.