If you’ve been hanging around kitchens for any length of time you probably have a particular favorite cheesecake. The jammy Strawberry-Topped Cheesecake is popular, or maybe your favorite cheesecake is simply sliced and served as in this lemony version from Mark Bittman. Cheesecake is a staple and most cooks have a fairly certain point of view about which type they prefer. However, if you’re not one of those cooks, or perhaps you just don’t care for the traditionally creamy styles that grace most menus then I’d like you to set these prejudices aside and consider making this Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Dried Peaches your favorite cheesecake.
It’s a seemingly unusual cheesecake, especially if you compare it to a New York Cheesecake. Partly because it’s dense and moist with an uncreamy crumb that has more in common with a pound cake than a no-bake cheesecake. But more importantly, the fruit element in this Cream Cheese Bundt Cake isn’t jammy nor is it fresh and juicy – it’s made with dried peaches.
I know from experience that dried fruit isn’t always a crowd-pleaser. I’ve seen plenty of folks spend most of their Starbucks coffee break patiently plucking currants from a scone. Of course, you can’t talk about the lack of love for dried fruit without using prunes as a case in point. Admit it, you’ve had a box of the wizened little wretches in the back of your pantry since 1994.
That said, dried fruit can be a bakers friend. Because getting just the right balance of moisture, sugar, and flour to make a successful cake often means that fresh fruit is off-limits. One of my most memorable baking fails was a Martha Stewart recipe for fresh strawberry-studded cookies. If you go back and read my post about them you’ll see I tried several ways to tame the moisture from those fresh berries. Dried fruit doesn’t weep when baked the same way many berries and stone fruits do. GREG
Ingredients
- 2 cup dried peaches (cut into ½‑inch chunks)
- 2 cup fruity white wine
- 1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 8 ounce cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour (scooped and leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- powdered sugar (for dusting, optional)
Directions
Place peaches and wine in a medium-sized saucepan set over medium heat. Bring the liquid to a low boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the liquid is syrupy. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow peaches to completely cool in the liquid. Do not drain.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare a bundt pan by lightly coating the interior with non-stick cooking spray and a light sprinkling of flour. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, use a hand-held mixer to blend together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating in between additions until well incorporated.
Add the flour and baking powder to the mixture in several additions and then use a rubber spatula and fold the dry ingredients into the batter between additions. Add the peaches along with their liquid and continue to fold the ingredients together until just mixed through.
Transfer the batter to the bundt pan. Tap the pan firmly on your kitchen counter several times to settle the batter into the folds of the pan.
Bake in the heated oven for 50 to 55 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is ready. If not, place back in the oven for 3–5 minutes and perform the toothpick test again.
Allow the cake to cool for five minutes and then turn the cake out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving. (Optional)
Oh
May
Gawd
I must have this cake!
What a beautiful cake! Is its texture more like cheesecake or more like cake cake, or somewhere in between?
I’ve pinned the recipe because I love everything about this cake.
I like most dried fruit, but not all. I’ve found that if I soak it in a bit of hot water — or better yet, booze of some sort — before using the texture is much better in baked things. Anyway, love cheesecake, and this is such a neat one! Very different. And I’m a sucker for anything made in a bundt pan. Thanks!
I have a beautiful, hardly used bundt pan that is just calling out my name for this recipe. I love dried fruit, it is quite useful to have on hand and keeps a lot longer than regular fruit. I agree with Chef Mimi, this would make and awesome breakfast, maybe even add a poached egg on the side.
Greg, I still cannot make comments from my iPad or phone. The typing jumps out of the comment box and is delayed. Maybe it is just me.
Dried fruit is always good in cooking and in baking. I love to have a piece of that good looking cake.
I like using dry fruit in baking and cooking. Your cheesecake looks great, i would love to have a piece right now. Greg, I still cannot comment from my iPad or Phone on your blog, only from my desktop computer. What happens is that my typing is delayed and often doesn’t show at all. Maybe it is only me.
Confess Numner One: I don’t like cheesecake. Confession Number Two: my prunes are generally fresh — I actually like them and use them in all manner of dishes. Confession Number Three: I will love this Bundt.
Love this. This is something I’d love to enjoy at breakfast. I just wish I baked — I probably will start again now that my grand children are getting older!
I love dried fruit and always miss making a fruit compote for Jewish holidays. I love it but most don’t. That is until they taste it. I have a feeling most would not refuse anything with the words cream cheese and bundt!
I had some and it was unbelievably delicious Greg is the one that he can makes every food just right in test and presentation!❤️✨
Looks divine. I actually adore dried fruit and think it has its proper place in the culinary world. This cream cheese bundt cake looks like the perfect application. Now… where did I hide my bundt pan?!