Fresh Peach Cake and Lance Armstrong

I'll level with you. This is like coffee cake made with fresh peaches. After baking, your kitchen will smell like cinnamon sugar, and it will take every ounce of your being not to scarf the whole thing down yourself. It will have a crunchy outer crust with a softer, buttery middle with hefty chunks of warm, sweet fruit throughout. You will eat a piece that is much too large, warm with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Then you will go to sleep, and repeat. You'll eat it for breakfast and sneak slivers during lunch. It will be your afternoon snack and finally, dessert again. There, I said it. I laid it all out so you'll know exactly what to expect. It would be crazy talk to let peach season pass you by without making this one. This was the first piece out of the pan and looks a little crumbly on the bottom, but this cake held it's shape nicely.

I have returned from Salt Lake where I attended our first Angelman's Syndrome conference for Olivia. It was great to meet other kids and families that we could really relate to. Then, we packed up and headed out to Crested Butte, Colorado for Jeremy's mountain bike race and holy moly...People who say Steamboat Springs is beautiful have clearly not been to Crested Butte. Don't get me wrong, Steamboat is beautiful in more of a green valley, rolling hills, rivers, high grass and fences sort of way. Crested Butte is more like straight out of a movie with majestic, huge, rugged mountains, waterfalls cascading down whole mountain faces and tons of wildflowers. It was take your breath away beautiful, and more you drove around and saw, the more gorgeous it got. We stayed right downtown and was a block off the main st. Perfect location. The town was so cute and storybook charming. However, I will say Steamboat is a much better place to live. There is more community here, with more resources and events, restaurants, people and history. I love my town, but Crested Butte was sure nice to visit. Here are some pictures I took on my iphone. They suck, but you can sort of get an idea. I really wish I had taken a picture of the draw dropping landscape from down below. These are all taken in the mountains up high.

This would be that cascading waterfall I was talking about. Much more beautiful in person

Look at this mountain's peak! I'm pretty sure that's Mt. Crested Butte in the flesh. Oh, and that's Jeremy in from his first lap about to go out for his next 32 miles up a pass.

At the meeting the evening before the race it was announced that Lance Armstrong would be racing as well and was headed up that night. Lance was in Jeremy's division (men, ages 30-39) and it was really cool to see a legend do what he does best. That man is a machine! He won the race both in his division and overall. Jeremy did awesome as well, coming in 10th in his division and 30th overall out of 300. This race was 64 miles and was done in two laps. When the bikers came in from their first lap Jeremy only came in 15 minutes after Lance. I was shocked. He was definitely one of the front runners. His placement qualified him for the Leadville 100 ride which is in two weeks. He had to come in the top 15 of his division to qualify and I am so proud that he achieved it. Leadville is a 100 mile race that only the best of the best athletes get to compete in. It is hard core and intimidating but I know Jeremy will do well. No worries here. My husband is definitely an athlete. A sexy superstar athlete :)

Lance, whizzing past the first lap

My man after the race with Livy

Waiting for the awards ceremony at the mountain's base

I have gotten off topic. Forgive me. Where were we? Peach cake, oh yes. Peach cake so moist and delicious and wonderful. Almost as wonderful as a visit to Crested Butte and an afternoon of watching the two most amazing men (in my eyes) do their thing!

Fresh Peach Cake

adapted from Barefoot Contessa, How Easy Is That?, by Ina Garten

Serves 8

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

2 extra large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 large, ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Top with half of the peaches, then sprinkle with two-thirds of the sugar mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top, arrange the remaining peaches on top, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture and the pecans.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream if desired.