My husband's birthday is at the beginning of December, and he wanted a Peaches and Cream Cake. He is also Chilean and grew up there.
In Chile, my mother-in-law used to make this cake, usually a strawberry and cream cake, using the first strawberries of the season because you know it is the beginning of the summer down there. My husband still likes fruit and cream cake best for his birthday, and I went with this peaches and cream cake this year. So classic and delicious. I used frozen peaches, and they look and taste just like fresh in this cake, don't overcook them.
As always, make the cake the day before serving so the flavors have time to develop.
Visit our collection of Chilean recipes here.
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Naked Peaches and Cream Cake
- Prep Time: 2 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: Cakes
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: International
Description
A refreshing, beautiful cake.
Ingredients
For the cake,
- 225 grams of cake flour
- 6 eggs
- 225 grams of sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 grams of melted butter
For the peach compote,
- 2 pounds of peeled-cut frozen peaches
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To assemble the cake,
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- ½ cup peach jam, optional
- ¼ cup sliced almonds for garnish
- mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat oven to 365F or 185C. Prepare 2 (8″ x 3″) cake pans. Cover the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla with a whisk, and heat in a double boiler until it reaches a temperature of 115F or 46C, constantly stirring.
- Went the mixture reaches 46C, remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture rises and then collapses leaving a ring on the edge of the bowl for about 8 minutes.
- With a spatula incorporate the flour in 3 steps, using soft movements. Add the melted butter and incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.
- Cool on a wire rack and then wrap and refrigerate. Do not take out of the pan until you ready to cut and assemble the cake.
- For the peach compote: Place everything in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the peaches are cooked. It takes about 20 minutes if you start with frozen peaches. Cool, and refrigerate.
- To assemble the cake: Whip the cream in a cold bowl until soft peaks form, add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Take the cakes out of the pans and cut each cake in half with a big serrated knife. Remove the parchment paper.
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Assemble the cake alternating layers of cake soaked with juice from the compote, whipped cream, and peaches. If you wish to add a layer of jam also.
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Finally, cover the cake with cream and garnish with almonds, peaches, and mint.
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Refrigerate overnight.
Chad says
Wow, that is really something. Tell your husband happy birthday from us. I hope he enjoys his beautiful cake!
Is the cake itself really light? I'm just curious about the whipping of the eggs and sugar so much. Does that aid in lightening the cake itself?
Pilar Hernandez says
Excellent question. This is a genoise, all the air and lightness comes from the technique, no baking powder are added. This translate in a melt in your mouth cake.
Thanks Chad.