Nectarine-Topped Lemon Verbena Cake {Gluten-Free}

"Mom," asked the Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf, "what are you making for dessert?"

What?!?! Bear in mind that this is what the kitchen in our new house looks like right now. I wasn't planning on making anything except the bare minimum for dinner. I certainly hadn't planned on making dessert. D - I really don't know where anything is.

But I had a gallon of milk in the fridge that needed to be used and he offered to make a hot milk cake, so we dug through some boxes and adapted one of our favorite recipes to infuse the milk with dried lemon verbena leaves. Plus, we had some fresh nectarines that needed to be used right away to.

Ingredients makes one 9" square cake

• 8 T (1/2 stick) butter + more for greasing pan/parchment paper
• 1 C milk
• 4 dried lemon verbena leaves
• 2 C gluten-free flour
• 1-3/4 C organic granulated sugar
• 2 t baking soda
• 4 large eggs
• 3 ripe nectarines, pitted and thinly sliced

Procedure

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line your baking dish with parchment paper and butter the paper.

In a medium sauce pan, heat milk with lemon verbena leaves. Once bubbles begin to form at the edge of the pan, remove the milk from the heat and let the leaves infuse for 10 minutes. Strain the leaves out and set aside. Melt the butter in a small pan.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and baking soda. Whisk in the eggs until the flour is fully incorporated. Mix in the melted butter, then the milk mixture. Gently incorporate, whisking till smooth.

Pour into a parchment-lined baking dish and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or till the cake is well-risen, smooth, a deep golden brown, and firm to the touch. Loosen the cake from the pan and place on a cooling rack.

To serve, top the cake with sliced nectarines.

The Elf - and everyone else in the house - was happy that they got dessert. I'll admit: it was tasty and moist. Thanks, D.