Sweet Treats – Peach Cake

Although it’s impossible to buy a fresh peach in this country right now, I am going to recommend you resort to a tin of peaches for one very good reason – this cake is irresistible.

This recipe makes a tall 22cm cake so you really need an excuse to share it with others. Luckily, this cake doubles nicely as a dessert with a dollop of softly whipped cream on the side. It’s soft, almost sticky in the middle, but I prefer it that way. If you want to cook it a little longer you may have to cover the top with some paper to stop it browning too quickly. The result is pretty well perfect and a wonderful promise of warmer days ahead.

Makes a 22cm round cake or a large 22cm square cake

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs; 1 ½ cups (180 g) caster sugar; 1 cup (250 ml) vegetable oil (not olive oil); 3 cups (400g) plain flour; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp baking powder; ¼ cup (60 ml) orange juice; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 x 400g tin pie peaches OR 1 x 400g tin diced peaches in juice OR 2 cups diced fresh peaches (about 4 large and very ripe peaches); 1 tsp cinnamon (optional); icing sugar to serve

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter and flour a 22cm round springform tin or a 20cm square cake tin and set aside.

Using electric beaters and a very clean and dry bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together until they have trebled in volume and you can write your name with the ribbony mixture. You will need at least 15 minutes for this step.

With the beaters still on, gently pour in the oil and beat until well combined.

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together and add it alternatively with the orange juice to the eggs, beating well between each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract.

If you are using tinned peaches in juice, drain them well. In a separate bowl, toss the diced peaches with the cinnamon if you are using it.

Pour about one-third of the batter into the prepared tin. Gently spoon half the peaches over the batter, then cover with another third of the cake batter and then the remaining peaches. Top with the remaining cake batter and level out the surface with a spatula.

Bake for 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve dusted with icing sugar and a spoon of thickened cream or icecream on the side.

COST

$7.70 for a large 22cm cake