peaches and cream layer cake
I’d say “so long, summer!” but in reality it’s just getting fucking started.
Funny that major sweat season (*salutes* Major Sweat) supposedly commences in June, but it really doesn’t switch into full gear until everyone has forgotten about peaches and the Halloween decorations speckle all the storefronts. While I certainly don’t mind the idea of summer bowing and exiting, it won’t here for another two months or so. If it decides to in the first place.
I will say, though, that the best of peachies is now, and come the close of August our favorite orange booty fruits will slowly trickle off the shelves in favor of winter squash, cinnamon brooms, and mini pumpkins. So grab life by the booty now, folks.
Funny enough (okay, it’s not really funny) this Peaches and Cream Layer Cake doesn’t utilize a whole lot by way of fresh peaches, and a big reason for that is I developed this guy with my pants on fire, basically. I’d just come out of a couple weeks of sheer reclusiveness and major stress, and wanted to photograph with peaches sans an elaborate concept. Aaaaand, my cupboard housed a beautiful fresh jar of my favorite peach preserves.
So, voila. Peach cake. Frosted with one of my mainstays: a bourbon cream cheese frosting. I’d thought about using a whipped cream frosting instead but I dunno, the rich bourbon flare just spoke to me. When my instinct speaks, I listen. Mostly.
Frilly Vanilly
The base of our friend here is my go-to vanilla cake. Soft, floof, with a perfect crumb, and a shitload of vanilla extract to really drive home the fact that this is a vanilla cake you hoe.
Cream butter and sugar together until light and airy, then beat in your eggs, vanilla, and plain Greek yogurt. The lattermost for that moist texture we know and love. Or at least I know and love, and you’re about to know and love.
Mix in your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Turn the mixer to low and slowly stream in buttermilk. The batter will be thick – this is what ya’ll want.
Grease two 9-inch cake pans with butter or oil and dump your batter evenly between them. You can be fancy and weigh the layers to ensure they’re perfectly even, or rely on your eyeballs. So long as there isn’t a humongo discrepancy, you’ll be fine.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until no longer wiggling like they’re jiggling free, and a toothpick doesn’t emerge with a gooey film. Cool the cakes in the pan for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and flip onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Bourbon Bonanza
Bourbon cream cheese frosting is the name of the game here. Of course, you can omit the bourbon, but if I have an opportunity to use it in anything, I will.
Whip up a stick of butter with cold cream cheese, choice bourbon, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Start the speed on low until everything is incorporated – you may need to scrape down the bowl a few times – then crank it up to medium high and whip until airy and spreadable.
Level your layers if needed to ensure a nice stackage. Plop one layer onto a cake stand or flat plate. Use a piping bag with no tip or a ziptop bag with a corner sliced off to swirl a layer of frosting around the perimeter of the cake. See photo if my written descriptor is shit.
Spoon the peach preserves into the center and gently dab or spread to distribute. Place the second cake layer on top and frost with the remaining of the buttercream. If you’d like, swirl a few lambeth patterns or some shit around the cake. Clearly I didn’t do that, but if you’re good at decorating, go for it.
For garnish, I like just a few peach slices and a flower to pretty up the thing as a centerpiece. Probably don’t eat the flower unless you’re using a buttercream variety, or edible plants.
A perfect sendoff to summer as we know it, even if the weather says otherwise. I’ll admit, my heart certainly says otherwise.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Layers upon layers of awesome:
peaches and cream layer cake
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup high-quality peach preserves
- peach slices, for garnish
bourbon cream cheese buttercream
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese, cold
- 3-4 tbsp bourbon, use to taste
- 2 tsp vanilla extact
- 4 – 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9 inch cake pans with butter or oil.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Whip in the vanilla and Greek yogurt. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running, slowly stream in the buttermilk, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake 30-35 minutes until the center is set and an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to release the layers and flip onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
- When the cakes are cooled, make the frosting. In a bowl, whip the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, bourbon, and powdered sugar on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium high and whip until very light and fluffy.
- Place one cake layer on a flat plate or cake stand. Use a piping bag with no tip or a ziptop bag with a corner snipped off to trace a ring of frosting around the perimeter of the layer. Spread the peach preserves in the middle, then add the second layer. Frost all the way around the cake until completely covered. If you have extra frosting, feel free to pipe little decorations onto the cake. Finish with peach slices and a flower, as desired.
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