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Peach and Cream Cake

peach cake on a table with cherries, sprinkles and a bouquet of flowers
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5 from 11 reviews

This fresh peach cake combines moist vanilla cake, a creamy peach mousse filling and melt-in-your-mouth vanilla buttercream frosting. Read to the bottom for tips on safely decorating cakes with flowers and a canned peach variation.

  • Author: The Simple, Sweet Life
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
  • Yield: 16 slices 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the vanilla cake:

  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

For the peach mousse:

  • 1 1/2 cup peeled, pitted and diced peaches
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. unflavored gelatin
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

For the swiss meringue buttercream frosting:

  • 6 egg whites
  • 12 oz. (about 1 3/4 cups) granulated sugar
  • 18 oz. (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • Orange food gel coloring

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350F, and grease and line three 6" cake pans.
  2. Melt your butter, whisk in the milk, and warm until warm to the touch.
  3. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally so the butter and milk don't separated.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat your eggs on high until light and fluffy.
  5. Add the granulated sugar and beat until dissolved.
  6. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, and vanilla extract until just combined.
  7. Fold in the milk-butter mixture, and divide the batter evenly between your three pans.
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Once the cake pans are cool enough to handle, turn them out and wrap them in plastic wrap. Refrigerate.
  10. Using a double boiler with the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together your egg whites and sugar for the frosting.
  11. Heat until the mixture is hot and the sugar dissolves.
  12. Remove the bowl from the double boiler, and beat on high using the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature (8-10 minutes).
  13. Switch to your paddle attachment, and begin adding your cubes of cold butter while mixing on low-medium.
  14. Once all the butter is in, increase the speed to high and beat until a smooth frosting forms.
  15. Add the vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
  16. Wash and dice your ripe peaches, and puree in a blender.
  17. Pour half of your puree into a small saucepan, and stir in your sugar and gelatin.
  18. Cook the mixture over medium heat until hot, but not boiling.
  19. Remove the mixture from the burner, and stir in your remaining peach puree.
  20. Plunge the bowl of peach mousse into an ice bath, and stir as the mixture begins to thicken.
  21. Once the mixture thickens to the consistency of pudding, whip your heavy cream, and gently fold it into the peaches until just combined.
  22. To assemble your cake, start by spreading a thin layer of frosting on the first layer.
  23. Spoon a small amount of your frosting into a bag, and pipe a rim around the edge of your frosted layer.
  24. Fill the center with mousse, and top with your second layer.
  25. Repeat this process for the second layer.
  26. Once your cake is filled, give it a light crumb coating with the frosting and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours or until the mousse is set.
  27. To finish frosting the cake, frost the top, making it as even and smooth as possible.
  28. Divide the remaining frosting between 3 bowls, leaving one uncolored, and coloring the other two different shades of orange (or peach, if you will).
  29. Spoon your frosting into piping bags, and starting at the bottom with the darkest shade, begin piping your frosting on and around your cake.
  30. Use an offset spatula to smooth it out.
  31. Top the cake with fresh fruit, sprinkles and/or flowers.

Notes

  • How many peaches to buy: 1 1/2 cups of diced peaches is approximately 1-2 large peaches or 3/4lb.
  • Measure your batter: Making even layers of cake start with measuring your batter. For this recipe, that means about roughly 9.3oz of batter per pan (for three pans).
  • Chill your cake: Cool cake is easier to cut and handle, so chilling your cake for a short while before use will make this process easier.
  • Canned peach variation: Don't have fresh peaches on hand? Simply use canned peaches, rinsed thoroughly, instead.
  • Fill that piping bag like a pro: Spoon your frosting onto a large piece of plastic wrap, roll and twist the ends. Trim one end so there’s about ½” in length, drop your frosting into the piping bag (short end first) with the tip already on and pipe!
  • The trick for smooth frosting: You’ll need a rotating cake stand and a bench scraper. Place the small end of the bench scraper on the cake stand, long end against the frosting and turn the table. Once excess frosting is removed, heat the scraper in hot water, wipe and drag around the outside of the cake.
  • Decorating with flowers: Not all flowers are edible, and even those that are may not be grown for consumption. For more information, check out my post on how to safely use fresh flowers on cakes.
  • Storage: This cake will keep in the refrigerator, uncut, for 2-3 days.
  • Storing cut cake: Once your cake is cut, you’ll want to protect the exposed cake area. The easiest way to do this is with a piece of plastic wrap or two.

Cake recipe adapted from Miette (2011), pg. 26

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thesimple-sweetlife.com/peaches-and-cream-cake/